My Champion
by morgana-avalon
Summary: Martin recovers from being shot. Then bad news reaches him and he had to find out who killed an old SEAL buddy. Brooks being Brooks ends up in danger of course. And Reacher saves the day!
1. Chapter 1

My Champion – sequel to Home is where the heart is...

Brooks studied Martin. He was under the impression that the younger man was quickly regaining his strength and it was getting harder to keep the Texan confined to bed, but Todd's instructions had been clear. "Stay where you are!" Brooks pointed a finger at Martin, who was trying to get up from the couch, warning him not to push the matter. They had given in, allowing Martin to crash on the couch instead of resting in bed, but that was where Brooks drew the line. "You have been out of the hospital for a grand total of four days! You need to rest!"

Martin sighed, growing frustrated now that Brooks kept him on a short leash. "I'm doing better!"

"Yes, you are," Brooks agreed, "but you're also prone to overestimating your strength. So we'll follow Todd's instructions instead; rest and no strenuous activities." Martin was restless and Brooks figured he knew why. "Is this because Ronnie's visiting?" His friend had kept his distance these last few days, limiting himself to merely texting Brooks, but now the City Attorney had announced a visit. It was probably the very reason why Martin was on edge.

Martin hated the fact that Brooks knew him that well. "Maybe… Probably." He didn't look forward to Ronnie's visit and could easily have done without it, but he knew his father in law worried. It wouldn't do to refuse Ronnie.

"Hey, everything will be fine!" Brooks exchanged his chair for the coffee table, where he sat down and searched Martin's eyes. "Why are you nervous?"

Martin shrugged, carefully though as he didn't want to irritate his shoulder wound. "He'll act all concerned."

"That's because he IS concerned," Brooks admonished the younger man. "Ronnie cares about you. Maybe you can try to let him in? Just a little?"

Martin wasn't sure he should, but for Brooks' sake, he'd try.

/

"Thanks for having me, Brooks." Ronnie removed his coat and smiled warmly at his friend. He could never repay Brooks and Todd for taking care of his troublesome son in law. "How's Marty doing?"

Still wondering how Ronnie got away with calling Martin that, Brooks chuckled. "He's doing better than we expected. His wounds heal up nicely and he's getting restless. He's trying to move about, which Todd tries to nip in the butt." Todd had toughened up where Martin was concerned; he had to, otherwise Martin would try to return to work. They'd both vetoed that idea and told Martin to accept he was on sick leave for at least another week. It was needless to say that Martin had cursed at hearing that.

"Good, you need to slow him down. He takes so little care of himself!" Ronnie followed Brooks into the living room and smiled at seeing Martin resting on the couch, tucked beneath a quilt, and watching television. Martin looked much improved, thankfully. "Marty!"

Martin flinched. Ronnie's overly enthusiastic tone worried him. "Ronnie," he said calmly while making eye contact. He hadn't seen his father in law since he'd left the hospital. Ronnie had texted him each day though and he had replied – short and to the point, but he hadn't ignored him.

"Please sit down." Brooks looked at them and realized they needed a moment alone. "Want something to drink? I just made coffee."

"Coffee's fine with me, thanks!" Ronnie sat down in the chair next to the couch and examined Martin closely. "You look well!" Martin really did!

"These mother hens are overdoing it," Martin said the moment Brooks disappeared into the kitchen. "They won't let me do anything! Todd wants me off my feet and Brooks is even worse. They constantly hover and tell me to rest. It's getting old."

Ronnie however grinned. "They're just what you need, admit it." He'd often despaired where Martin was concerned. It had never crossed his mind that Brooks and Todd would be the cure. He felt grateful that they had taken Martin in. "How's the injury?"

Martin decided to be honest. Ronnie was too adapt at detecting any lies. "Shoulder's much improved and hardly hampers me." But the abdominal wound was a different story.

"And your abdomen?" Ronnie excelled at reading between the lines. Martin excluding that wound told him a lot.

"Could be better. It's inconvenient." Raising his legs, walking about, bending down, those things still caused him pain, so Todd had told him to listen to his body and rest. "Hopefully they'll let me go back to work next week. I can do paperwork." He knew better than to pressure Brooks into letting him ride with Roger.

"You hate paperwork!" Ronnie pointed out. It was good to see Martin putting up a fight for it meant he was getting better. "Anna sends you her love. She would love to visit too." Those words made Martin avert his gaze and it told Ronnie it was too soon to bring that up.

Brooks picked that moment to join them. He placed the coffee in front of Ronnie and handed Martin some hot chocolate, having realized the younger man liked the hot drink. Martin briefly gave him a thankful look and then wrapped his hands around the mug. "We have a hard time keeping him away from the precinct. He even wants to do paperwork, imagine that!"

Martin felt grateful that Brooks tried to do away with the rising tension between Ronnie and him. "At least that way I'm useful! All I do right now is rest!"

"And what's wrong with that?" Brooks calmly inquired while sipping from his coffee. "You're injured, you need to rest."

"I'm getting better!" Martin glared at Brooks.

"Yes, you are, but you're not quite there yet. So try being patient a little longer."

He'd do so, but only because it was Brooks.

/

"We can't keep him down much longer," Todd mused when they went to bed two days later. "He's getting restless. Today I caught him climbing the stairs, while I had told him not to!" He joined his life partner in bed and wrapped his arms around him. "I don't like it either, but we need to give him some space."

Brooks got that, but he wasn't giving in easily. "He's not going back on the job just yet!"

Todd nodded. "Maybe we can take him to the beach tomorrow? We're both off from work and I'd love to go surfing. We'll monitor him and see how it goes. If he does well, we might allow him to tag along with you on Monday. He can do paperwork," he added quickly, because Brooks was about to protest. "No active duty for him yet, I agree!"

Brooks didn't like it, but agreed. "What if he wants to go for a swim?"

"He can. His wounds healed up, so it shouldn't be a problem. Swimming might actually be good for him." Todd snuggled up and sighed contently. "I understand that you're worried where Martin is concerned, but you need to tone it down."

Brooks sighed; Todd was right. "I can't help feeling protective. He saved my life, Todd, twice."

"And we're indebted to him," Todd agreed. "But we also owe it to him to treat him accordingly."

Todd was correct. Still, Brooks preferred knowing Martin safe at home. He also knew it was an illusion though. He closed his eyes, focused on his partner's comforting presence, and let himself drift off into sleep.

/

Martin relaxed at having his freedom returned to him. They were on the beach, Todd was surfing and Brooks remained close. They'd switch every so often and then Brooks would be out there riding the waves while Todd monitored him. "Why don't you join Todd?" Martin suggested, trying to convince Brooks to give him some space. He was abiding to their rules and not exerting himself. They should cut him some slack.

"Not happening," Brooks muttered. He'd love to surf alongside Todd, but he refused to let Martin out of his sight, knowing the Texan was prone to getting himself into dangerous situations.

"What if I join the two of you? I can do with a swim and I promise not to overdo it," he promised quickly, seeing Brooks was about to object. "Give me some space, Brooks!" he exploded, fed up with them hovering close all the time.

Recalling Todd's warning, Brooks nodded hesitantly. "Stay close."

Relieved that he'd gotten through to Brooks, Martin carefully got to his feet. Todd had removed his bandages that morning, proclaiming him sufficiently healed to go swimming if he wanted to, but had also urged him not to overdo it. Martin intended to heed that warning as he didn't want to end up in hospital or confined to bed again. He followed Brooks into the water and enjoyed his temporary freedom. Carefully, he started swimming, letting himself float and simply enjoying himself.

Brooks kept a close eye on his charge, but when Martin behaved himself, he relaxed. Maybe they'd gotten through to the Texan after all.

/

That evening, Martin fell asleep on the couch. The fresh air, the exercise, and the excitement of finally being out in the open had drained him.

"He's doing well," Todd remarked and looked at his life partner. "You should allow him to tag along tomorrow. Let him do paperwork. Being back at the precinct will do him good."

Brooks realized the same thing. Martin needed to be among his friends. "I'll let him," he agreed, "but he's on desk duty. He can do paperwork and I'll team him up with Cruz or Bailey. He is NOT riding with Murtaugh."

"Sounds like a good compromise." Todd approved. He'd briefly worried that Brooks' protectiveness would hamper Martin's recovery, but his lover was adapting.

/

He hadn't thought it possible, but the prospect of doing paperwork at the precinct excited him. He'd been cooped up for almost three weeks and wanted to get back in the game. He'd abide to Todd's and Brooks' rules for now. He'd stick to paperwork and behave himself.

/

Roger felt relieved at seeing Riggs march into the bullpen. His partner still moved awkwardly, but he was back. "Riggs, I can't believe you're back! I thought you'd died!"

Martin grinned wickedly. "Only the good die young, Rog! All the evil seem to live forever!" He slowly sat down at his desk, taking his healing abdominal wound into account. "Damn, it's good to be back!" He looked about and felt at home.

"Riggs!" Cruz walked over to the detective's desk and looked him over. "Welcome back!" He'd missed the Texan and was glad to have him back.

"Cruz, it's good to be back, buddy! I missed this place!" And the people in it!

Bailey smiled welcomingly at him. "Someone told me you're looking forward to doing paperwork. I find that hard to believe; your typing skills are nonexistent!" But she was happy to have him at the bullpen. The place wasn't the same without him in it. "You worried us when you went down," she added. "It's the first time ever a cop was shot in the break room! How do you manage to get into those situations?"

"Talent and sheer luck!" Riggs grinned broadly. Damn, he'd missed them! "So tell me, what's happening? Any interesting cases?"

"The only interesting cases you'll get your eyes on are the files you'll be typing up," Brooks said resolutely as he joined them. Seeing Martin back in his element made him happy. Addressing his team, he said, "Remember guys, Riggs is on desk duty. Do not, and let me repeat that, do NOT let him talk you into taking him into the field."

Martin gave Brooks a reassuring smile. "I get it, cap. I'll stay put." He'd promised both Brooks and Todd that he'd stick to his desk.

"You'd better!" Brooks warned him. "Otherwise we'll confine you back to bed!"

"Aye, sir," Martin said, and nodded. "Message received and understood." He'd abide to the rules, for now.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Well, Amber, I hope the story won't disappoint!

Part 2

Five days later, Martin was going mad. He was still on desk duty, but wanted to be out there instead. His abdomen was healing up just fine and the injury hardly bothered him anymore. He'd talked to Cahill, who had okayed his request to go back on active duty, but Brooks wasn't cooperating. "Cap?"

Brooks looked up from his desk and eyed Martin closely. Something was definitely up. "Sit down and spit it out." He knew what this was about. Last night, Todd and he had discussed Martin's condition and his life partner had advised him to cut Martin some slack. Well, he'd see about that!

Martin sat down, wondering how to convince Brooks to let him go back on active duty. In the end, he blurted out, "I can't take this anymore. You've got to let me ride with Rog again!" He enjoyed working with Bailey and she'd actually taught him a thing or two about his computer, but paperwork wasn't his thing. "Rog needs backup!" Which wasn't completely true; Cruz had partnered up with Murtaugh these last few weeks. "I'm going crazy here!"

"Fine," Brooks said, and Martin's expression told him he'd surprised the younger man. "But you need to stick to the rules."

"Which are?" Martin had a hard time believing Brooks was giving in! He'd expected his captain to put up a fight!

"The usual stuff. No jumping off buildings, no running after the bad guys, not getting into fights. You WILL take it easy. I'll let you ride along for the rest of the day. Show me you can behave and I'll let you go on active duty. If you don't, you're stuck to a desk for the whole week."

Martin considered his options. Brooks' rules were acceptable as his condition wouldn't allow him yet to chase after the bad guys. But he could cover Roger's back. "I promise to behave," he said eventually, hoping it would do. Brooks' eyes narrowed and Martin knew the older man was judging him carefully. "Hand on heart and hope to die," he added, hoping to reassure his captain, who promptly sighed. Why?

"Don't die!" Brooks shook his head; maybe he wasn't getting through to Martin after all.

"I won't," Martin promised, taken aback that the older man cared that much about him. "So can I go now?"

"Just remember the rules!" Brooks gestured for Martin to leave the office. While the Texan happily made his way over to the elevators he tried to calm himself. He had to let Martin go; he knew that, but it was hard.

/

Contrary to what Brooks had thought, Martin behaved himself. He even let Roger drive, and when a suspect threatened to get away, he stayed in the car and let Roger chase after the guy. Considering how badly things could have gone, Brooks was pleased. "Okay, you can go back to work starting tomorrow," he told Martin while standing at his detective's desk. "Murtaugh, I count on you to keep him in line and tell me if he misbehaves! In that case, he's back on desk duty!"

Roger enjoyed himself immensely, finally holding some power over his unpredictable partner. "You heard the man," he told Riggs. "You'd better do as you're told!" He had to admit that Riggs had been good today. He'd behaved! Maybe there was hope yet for his partner!

Brooks grinned at them and returned to his office, knowing Roger wouldn't betray Martin's trust, but his former partner would tell him if Riggs went against the rules.

"I plan on following the rules," Martin admitted, "for now. Once I get Brooks off my back, it's a different story!" Catching the odd expression on his partner's face, he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"You call him Brooks and he lets you get away with it?" Although Roger had realized that Riggs and Avery had bonded, getting used to the idea took time. Well, he shouldn't be surprised, considering Riggs lived with Avery these days. "You also get along with Todd then?" That had maybe been the biggest surprise; realizing that the three of them had started to form a unit – a family. He welcomed it though.

"Todd's fine," Martin growled, displeased their conversation was becoming that personal. "And it's not a matter of letting me get away with it," he elaborated, something he normally wouldn't do. Since allowing Brooks and Todd into his life had worked out, he figured he could let Roger in too. He'd kept his partner at a distance in the past.

Riggs had changed, Roger mused. He was a bit more welcoming, more open, and more trusting. If living with Brooks and Todd had caused that change, he was happy about it. "Trish wants you to join us for dinner tomorrow. It's been too long since you came by the house." These days, Riggs headed for Brooks' place instead, which made him wonder if the Texan planned to move in permanently. He'd prefer it over his partner holing up at his trailer.

"I'll swing by for dinner, if Brooks allows it." Martin chuckled softly. "You have no idea how protective those guys are! Last night I showed up late for dinner and Todd was already on the phone with Brooks, asking where I was."

"That's exactly what you need," Roger muttered beneath his breath. Riggs needed people in his life who worried about him. A quick look at the clock told him it was almost time to head home. He'd only done paperwork today and missed the excitement a case brought with it.

/

Since Bailey's desk was closest to the elevators, she was the first to notice the new arrival. Clad in a military uniform, a man, probably six foot one and in his late twenties, approached her desk. He was tanned and she put him at two hundred pounds, muscle mostly. Black hair showed from beneath the cap and green eyes alertly took in the bullpen. His nose, which was slightly crooked, told her it had been broken, maybe once, maybe several times. It was the only imperfection though, as far as she could tell. He was definitely handsome and it had nothing to do with the uniform, she told herself. "Hey, can I help?" Was he army? Navy? She had no idea. She might find out later. To her surprise, and her delight, he saluted her and even winked at her.

"Petty officer first class Sandler. I'm looking for Commander Riggs. I've been told he works here."

Commander Riggs? Bailey grinned and belatedly realized it might make her look stupid, so she made sure she looked neutral when she addressed him. "We got a detective Martin Riggs here. Is that who you are looking for?" Commander Riggs? Oh, she was going to look up ranks the moment she got the chance!

"Yes, that's him. Where can I find him?" Sandler was already scanning the bullpen.

"Over there. You're lucky, he's in and doing paperwork." Bailey couldn't stop herself and sighed softly. She couldn't help being a sucker for a man in an uniform, damn it, and he looked damn fine wearing it!

Sandler made out the familiar scruffy hair and smiled at her. "Thank you, you've been very helpful." She was pretty and truth be told, he hardly spend time with girls. Maybe he could talk to her later, after completing his mission, which he wasn't looking forward to. He hated being the bearer of bad news!

Bailey watched as Sandler walked over to Riggs' desk, then got back to work. She wanted to know what a petty officer was! And how high ranked a commander?

Martin, still unaware of his visitor, cursed loudly since his computer refused to carry out his orders. He'd rather chase murderers than write stupid reports!

Murtaugh however, had caught sight of the military guy that advanced on them. He had little experience telling military uniforms apart, but the guy screamed navy at him. "Riggs?" Maybe his partner could help.

"Not now, Rog. The damn thing is eating my report!" And he'd worked so hard on typing it up! He'd even managed to substitute dick with bad guy!

Sandler came to a halt and took in a most welcome sight. It had been three years since he'd last seen his commanding officer and he was happy to find things hadn't changed. The Texan still didn't get along with computers. "Commander Riggs?" He fought back the grin that threatened to surface on his face. He could properly greet his friend later, first he had to get the official part out of the way.

Brooks, who had noticed the military guy as well, stepped out of his office to find out what was going on. Not so long ago military men had tried to kill him and he disliked seeing one of them in the bullpen. He frowned; commander Riggs? What the hell had Martin forgotten to tell him this time? Too bad he'd failed to get his hands on Martin's military files, but even he couldn't unseal those.

Martin froze at first, being called that. It had been years since anyone had addressed him like that! The voice sounded familiar though, and he turned around to find out what was happening. Finding Sandler standing near his desk was the last thing he'd expected. What was the young man doing here? In Los Angeles and at the LAPD to be exact? Also, the serious expression looked strangely out of place on his friend's face. "What the hell?" Martin got to his feet, eyeing his former buddy closely. What had happened?

Roger exchanged a look with Avery, who had moved closer and was now standing next to Riggs' desk, looking equally puzzled. Roger shrugged, telling his former partner that he also didn't know what was going on. However, he did know that Riggs was going to answer some questions later!

"Commander Riggs, I regrettably need to inform you that your presence is required tomorrow at zero nine hundred hours. You'll find all necessary information in here," Sandler said as he handed his former commanding officer an envelope. Although he'd volunteered to deliver the bad news, he wasn't happy about it, but someone had to do it, and Riggs and he went way back. It was only proper that he would convey the bad news.

Deep lines of thought appeared on Martin's face as he accepted the envelope and opened it. A sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that this was very bad news indeed. Reading the letter confirmed his suspicions and he sighed, deeply troubled.

"Martin?" Brooks, upon realizing that the younger man looked upset, placed a hand on Martin's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly, uncaring who saw it and what they might think. If Martin needed support, he'd get it!

Rereading the information, just to make sure, intensified the nauseating sensation in his stomach. "Jackie, I'm sorry," he said, addressing the young man in front of him and finally making eye contact. He knew what it was like to be the bearer of such bad news.

"We all are," Sandler said and gave his former superior a sad smile. "Will you attend the funeral?"

"Of course," Martin whispered and nodded once. "I'll be there."

"Funeral?" Roger didn't like this one bit. "Riggs, start talking!" Brooks' expression told him that his captain also wanted answers.

Martin folded the letter and returned it to the envelop before placing it on his desk. He needed a moment to accept that his friend was dead. It figured that Mack would survive the war and then die over here.

"Martin?" Brooks moved a little closer and managed to establish eye contact. Sandler gave him an odd look, but he ignored it. "What funeral?"

Martin cleared his throat and raised his head. Looking at Brooks, he said, "Kennedy Macintyre, my second in command during my last tour overseas, died. Command wants me to attend. Mack has no kin left and I'm still his emergency contact so…" Damn, why couldn't fate have taken him instead? Why did all the good ones die young, he wondered once more. "Brooks, I need tomorrow off." He hoped his captain understood why he had to attend. He needed to pay his comrade in arms his last respects.

"Sure, you got it," Brooks quickly assured the young man. "And I'll come along." Todd had to work and couldn't tag along. "You don't have to do this on your own, okay?" Martin's expression told him that the Texan felt conflicted. "Just accept it. I'll be there."

"Hey," Roger said, "we're partners, Riggs. You can count on me to have your back." Riggs had an emotional day ahead of him and he wanted to support his partner. "Like Avery said, we're in this together, yes?"

Martin nodded, although he wasn't sure he should accept. "Thanks, but you don't need to. I'm sure you have better things to do." Brooks' glare however shut him up, telling him that accompanying him to that funeral was his captain's current priority. "Thanks," he whispered again, addressing Brooks in particular.

"That's settled then." Brooks felt pleased now that Martin had accepted the offer. He looked at Murtaugh; they'd talk later. He turned his attention to Sandler and cocked his head. "Martin, why don't you introduce us?" The way Martin and Sandler interacted told him they knew each other well and he wanted to know more.

"Sure," Martin said quickly. "Captain Avery, meet petty officer first class Jack Sandler, or Jackie as we call him. He served with my squadron on my last two tours."

Jackie extended his hand in greeting. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

Brooks took it and shook it. "Navy?"

"Navy SEAL, sir," Jackie explained and chuckled. "LAPD captain?"

Brooks decided he liked the guy and grinned. "Robbery and Homicide."

"Interesting." Jackie released Avery's hand and smiled at his former commanding officer. "And this guy is…?"

"Roger Murtaugh, my partner," Martin explained, wondering how he was supposed to deal with two opposite of his life mingling. He'd always kept his former military life out of the picture and that had been easy, since no one ever asked about it. But that had changed with the arrival of Jack Sandler. "You got promoted," he realized belatedly.

"Thanks to you." Jackie winked at Riggs. "You put in a good word for me, I know you did."

"Well, you deserved it." Martin nodded. Jackie had saved several lives during their last tour and had proved his worth. The man deserved the promotion.

Bailey joined them and looked at Riggs with a new sense of respect. "So, you're a commander?" She'd researched that rank online. "Pretty high up on the food chain."

"Not that high," Martin downplayed the remark. "I'm no admiral!"

Jackie snorted at that and turned toward Bailey. "Admirals don't get shit done," he told her conspiringly. "It's the captains and commanders who run the navy, but that's just between us."

"Don't cut yourself short, Jackie," Martin admonished him. "We, in turn, would be lost without you guys."

"Maybe," Jackie admitted. "Damn, it's good to see you again, Marty!"

Martin grinned broadly. "I missed you too!"

Brooks, realizing something escaped him, quickly intervened. "Why don't you join us for dinner later, petty officer Sandler? I'm sure you want to catch up with Marty here," he said and pointedly ignored the glare Martin shot him at being called that, "and I turn would love to hear some stories!"

"Sure, I can do that." Jackie nodded. "And please call me Jackie. Just tell me the time and give me the address. I still got some matters to attend to, but I'll join you later." He wrote down his phone number and handed it to Riggs. "Don't be a stranger. Stay in touch!"

Martin accepted the note and pocketed it. "I'll give you a call." Noticing Bailey's disappointment, he whispered into Jackie's ear, "Maybe you should buy the lady a drink before heading out? She kinda likes you."

Jackie liked that idea. "I just might," he hinted and chuckled before turning away from Riggs and toward Bailey. "Can I ask you another favor? I could really do with some coffee. Do you know a great coffee shop and would you show me where to find it?"

Martin grinned; Jackie's moves were still as smooth as they used to be. After the two of them left, he grew aware of Brooks' and Roger's eyes on him. "What?" he growled defensively.

"Commander Riggs?" Roger turned the screen toward Riggs. He'd done some quick research too. "Bailey's right; that's pretty high up."

"Not that much." Martin wondered if he was ever going to live this down. Why was his rank such a big deal all of sudden? "It's a military thing. It means nothing in the civilian world."

"Maybe, but you must have done something to earn it." Brooks quickly scanned the information on the screen and concurred with Murtaugh. "When were you going to tell me, commander?" Oh, he enjoyed baiting Martin just a little. Well, maybe a little too much!

"That there is exactly why I didn't tell anyone! You're making fun of me!" He sat down and demonstratively crossed his arms in front of his chest. He merely pretended being annoyed though; Jackie showing up, even with such ill tidings, was a good thing. But then he realized that Brooks had invited Jackie to dinner and his friend knew a lot of embarrassing stories about him. Oh fuck, he was in trouble!

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Martin finishing early and heading off worried Brooks so he opted to tag along. The Texan might act chipper, but that was pretence, he knew that now. After all, a friend of his had died and would be buried tomorrow. That had to affect Martin, even if he didn't show it. Brooks watched him closely from the passenger's seat. "So, where are we headed? You do realize your friend will show up in an hour expecting dinner?"

"Just nuke a pizza and he'll be fine. Jackie eats everything you put in front of him." Martin wasn't concerned.

"That won't do. I already texted Todd and asked him to take care of dinner. He's on it."

"You didn't have to." Great, now he felt guilty for burdening them.

"But we want to. A friend of yours is also a friend of ours. Hopefully you know that by now."

"I do," Martin whispered and gave Brooks a grateful look. Recalling his friend's question, he explained, "I need to pick up some stuff, maybe even head for the dry cleaners. I don't know. I haven't checked on my dress uniform in three years. I keep most of my stuff at a storage facility."

"Your dress uniform?" To his shame, Brooks had to admit that he hadn't considered the fact that Martin might have to wear an uniform.

"It should be somewhere, tucked away in a box. I have no idea what condition it's in. I never expected to wear it again." Hopefully it was in a good condition. He could still get his hands on a substitute; Jackie wouldn't have come to LA without a spare uniform that would fit him, but he would only fall back on that option in an emergency. He pulled up to the storage facility and killed the engine. "I won't be long."

"I'm tagging along. I need to stretch my legs at any rate." Brooks had time to think things over and realized what kind of stuff Martin might keep at the storage facility. Revisiting his past would be hard on the Texan and he wanted to show his support. The fact that Martin didn't protest proved he was right.

Although he hesitated to voice it, Martin was relieved Brooks refused to let him do this on his own. He wasn't sure how he would react when confronted by the lost pieces of a painful past.

/

Brooks kept in the back when Martin opened his storage box and switched on the lights. The first thing he saw was a crib and it painfully reminded him of the fact that Miranda had been pregnant when she'd died in that car crash. Checking on Martin, he found the younger man had frozen in place, eyes locked on that cradle and the children's mobile above it. Damn it, why hadn't he thought of that? "Martin?"

Brooks' voice shook him from his stupor and he cleared his throat, trying to rid himself of the emotions trying to choke him. "It should be around here somewhere." With a heavy heart he moved past the crib and checked the writings on the cardboard boxes. He couldn't do this now and hopefully Brooks wasn't going to push. Maybe later, once they'd left, but not now.

Brooks sensed Martin's emotional turmoil and helped him check the writing. The third box he looked at said SEAL and he alerted Martin. He ignored the fact that the first box had said wedding and the second Delgado. Martin was nowhere ready to deal with those things. "Martin, over here!"

Martin checked the writing and nodded. "That's it." He uncovered the box, opened it and checked its content. Yes, it contained his uniforms and it seemed his dress uniform was still fine. Thankfully he'd kept it. It was time to leave. "I've got everything I need." He picked up the box, switched off the lights and closed up the box.

Brooks fell into step with Martin. He hadn't realized the Texan still kept a lot of painful memories in that storage box. One day, they should come back here and deal with that unresolved pain, but not today.

/

Todd was waiting for them and instantly recognized the typical sound of Martin's truck pulling up into the driveway. Brooks had texted him, telling him what to expect, and he was ready to help Martin face this part of his past. He opened the door and smiled warmly. Martin looked pale and preoccupied and barely noticed him as he preceded to the guestroom, which was fine with Todd as he wanted a word with his partner. "Brooks, what's going on?" He needed more detailed information!

Brooks quickly updated him and told Todd about Sandler's unexpected visit and stopping at the storage facility. He collapsed onto the couch and gratefully accepted the tea his lover handed him, although truth be told, he'd prefer scotch. But, in order not to tempt Martin, they'd removed all liquor from the house, which had pleased Todd. Getting rid of all that booze had been on his lover's bucket list for a long time!

Todd felt deeply for Martin when realizing the younger man had kept that cradle and a lot of other memorabilia. "And you had no idea?"

"I didn't even know that storage box existed," Brooks admitted while sipping from his tea. "But, in hindsight, it makes sense. He wouldn't keep the valuable stuff at the trailer."

"We're having steak and salad for dinner, I hope that's fine." Todd sat down next to his lover and realized tomorrow would be hard on Martin. It was a shame he was working tomorrow. He'd switched shifts too often lately and he couldn't possibly ask a colleague to cover for him again. "My shift ends at four PM," he informed Brooks. "I'll make sure to head home at once."

"I've got this," Brooks assured Todd. "Don't feel guilty about having to work." They'd really adopted Martin as their son in every sense of the word.

Todd nodded. "What's this Sandler like? Do I need to worry about him?" Brooks would read between the lines and understand what he was getting at.

"I don't think so. He came across as a nice guy. He definitely likes Bailey," he added, trying to reassure his partner. They'd both run into homophobes too often and always considered the possibility, especially when dealing with the military.

"So he isn't going to put another bullet hole into our wall?" Todd was only half joking.

"You needn't worry about that," Martin said, after overhearing the last part of their conversation. "Jackie's bisexual. He's probably worried about you two and how you'll treat him. Guys like him always have a hard time in the military."

Todd was ashamed to admit that hearing that reassured him. "Sorry, I didn't want to imply your friend was –"

But Martin cut him short. "Hey, I know what it's like. The navy isn't any different. We have racists and homophobes too, too many as far as I'm concerned. Jackie was bullied too."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Now Todd felt bad for doubting the guy. Luckily the bell saved him and he headed for the kitchen to check on the food. "Get that, will you?"

Martin exchanged a worried look with Brooks. "I never knew Todd was harassed in the past."

"He was pestered during university, but not that badly. No one sent him body parts," he deadpanned, trying to do away with any tension.

It worked. Martin shook his head and snorted. "Whatever happened to those guys?"

"If I remember correctly, they're serving time. Ronnie went after them and got them convicted on several charges."

"Oh, those two will be so popular in jail!" As far as Martin was concerned, they merely got their comeuppance. He made his way over to the front door and opened it. To his surprise Jackie was still in uniform. "What? Didn't you bring any civilian clothes, Jackie?"

"I got a date with Sonya later and I intend to impress," Jackie said and smiled at Riggs. "Got to make good use of the one time I can actually go on a date!"

"Good luck with that," escaped Brooks, as he stepped aside to let Sandler enter. It might take him a while to think of him as Jackie, which sounded much too intimate.

"I like a challenge." Jackie smiled at the LAPD captain, hoping he was truly welcome here. Hopefully dating Bailey deflected any suspicions Avery had. His experiences with his charming fellow SEALs had made him cautious. Avery might seem like a nice guy, but he'd found that usually changed the moment they found out he wasn't straight. "Thanks for having me," he said, addressing his host.

"You're welcome," Brooks replied, realizing how very wrong this situation felt. This was the first time ever that someone worried his sexual orientation might get him into trouble with him. Well, everything would explain itself the moment Todd appeared. "We're having steak, or if you're a vegetarian, salad," he added in a teasing tone.

Jackie's nerves settled down, as he started to believe he was really welcome at the LAPD captain's home. "I'm not picky."

"Yeah, being stuck in the jungle for days makes locusts, snakes and even caterpillars edible," Martin remarked. They'd survived more than once that way.

"Caterpillars?" Brooks gave them a disgusted look. "Well, you're getting normal food tonight."

"Brooks, we're ready! Why are you stalling?" Todd was in the middle of serving the food, hoping medium was okay with everyone. He wasn't that good a cook that he could take everyone's preference into account!

"We're here, chillaz," Brooks quipped and walked over to his lover. "Todd, meet Jack Sandler, also known as Jackie." He wrapped an arm around Todd's shoulders and leaned into him. "Sandler, meet my life partner Todd." The way Sandler's eyes widened might have been comical, but he knew the expression for what it was – a pleasant surprise and mostly huge relief.

"You're gay?" Jackie cursed himself privately for voicing his thoughts. "I apologize, I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't worry about it," Martin soothed his friend. "They don't mind. They're mushy!"

"We're not!" Todd vehemently objected that statement. "We merely worry!"

"Yeah, that too!" Martin gestured for Jackie to sit down. He could easily tell how relieved his friend felt now that he didn't have to worry about offending them.

"Still, I'm sorry." Jackie sat down and noticed the lack of booze on the table. The steak and salad looked fine though and he didn't mind having water with it. He suspected he knew why there wasn't any alcohol on the table. Marty always did indulge himself too much while drinking.

Once they were all seated and eating, Todd addressed their guest. "How did Martin and you meet? He never tells us anything about his military life."

"Because there's not much too tell and I don't want you guys to make fun of me!" He looked at Jackie and explained, "They keep harassing me with my rank, I have no idea why."

"Commander Riggs," Brooks quipped, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Sorry, it took me by surprise. It has a nice ring to it." Maybe he could convince Todd to try some role-playing?

"Don't! Don't tell them!" Martin shook his head repeatedly. "Don't give them ammunition!"

Jackie however wasn't concerned. In between bites, he studied Brooks and Todd. Who would have thought a LAPD captain could be gay? "Marty, it's nothing to be ashamed of! You're the hero in this story!"

Martin growled warningly. "Don't you dare!"

"Come on, tell us!" Martin's reaction merely fueled his need to know and Todd winked at Jackie. "If he's the hero, he's got nothing to worry about."

Jackie temporarily put down his utensils and sipped from his water. He'd give them the full story, knowing they'd understand why he referred to Riggs as a hero. "I'm bi," he told them, expecting some sort of reaction, but they merely waited for him to continue. Riggs had told them then, which made sense, he had to admit. He'd worried about their reaction and they had probably worried about the Navy SEAL having dinner with a gay couple. If it weren't so tragic, it would be funny. "Some guys took exception to that and cornered me in the communal showers. Don't get me wrong, I know how to fight off an attacker, but there were seven of them and I was outnumbered, not to mention naked and without a weapon." That moment stood out vividly in his memories. He'd expected to end up in the infirmary, that was, if he survived. "They moved in and I fought back, but there were too many of them. I was down and an easy target, that was when Marty showed up and gave them hell."

Martin shrugged, as far as he was concerned he hadn't done anything special. "I wanted to shower and heard the commotion while getting undressed. Once I realized there were seven of them, I charged and surprised them."

"We managed to fight them off and they fled eventually. Marty scared them." Jackie smiled fondly. "And that crowbar helped. Where did you find it?"

"They were fixing the window in the dressing room and it came in handy. It gave us the leverage we needed to kick their asses." Ah, fond memories!

Todd blinked. The story had taken him by surprise, although he should have expected Martin to act like that. "That was a brave thing to do. Didn't they try to get back at you?"

"I expected them to, so I came prepared. It also helped that we were a tight unit. We took care of our own and my mates made it very clear they shouldn't mess with us. Jackie here served with a different squadron at first, but I pulled some strings and had him transferred to our unit. Good times," he whispered, lost in memories. "Kennedy Macintyre was my spotter and hated any kind of prejudice. He quickly adopted Jackie, who was still a bit green behind the ears." And now they'd attend his funeral tomorrow. The mood changed and Martin lost all appetite. "Mack was a good guy. He saved our lives one night when the enemy moved in. Mack alerted us just in time so we could get out."

"He'll be missed," Jackie agreed and stopped eating too. "He didn't deserve to die like that."

"Like what?" Martin realized he hadn't even asked how his friend had met his end. "What happened?"

"Can we do this tomorrow? After the funeral? I can't… not right now," Jackie squirmed.

"Sure, but don't think you can get out of his one. You'll tell us." Martin had pity on him, knowing Jackie and Mack had been close. Mack had been a father figure to Jackie, much like Brooks was to him.

"So what will happen tomorrow?" Brooks liked being prepared. "I've never been to a SEAL funeral before. What does protocol require? Do I dress in a suit or in my uniform?" He didn't want to make a fool out of himself and embarrass Martin.

Jackie smiled reassuringly. "That's entirely your choice. Both are acceptable. Riggs however, needs to don his dress uniform. Do you still have it or do you need me to arrange for one?"

"I still got it." Martin had finished dinner as he wasn't hungry any more. Reality had finally hit him; he was burying a good friend tomorrow. At the same time, he also felt conflicted as he wanted to know how Mack had met his end, but he also knew he couldn't deal with that yet. Tomorrow would come quickly enough.

/

After Jackie said his goodbyes and headed for his date with Bailey, Martin made his way into his room. He no longer thought of it as the guestroom. Most of his private stuff had found its way in here and the trailer was quickly becoming another storage facility. He hardly spend any nights there and had fully moved in with Brooks and Todd.

He removed a hanger from the closet and unpacked his dress uniform. He cringed, finding it wrinkled and out of shape. Todd hopefully had a working iron somewhere so he could smooth out the fabric in the morning.

Brooks watched Martin as he sorted out his uniform. Sometimes it was easy to forget he was a veteran. Martin was still young and he always thought as veterans as old. The Texan had lived a different life before joining the police force and he knew very little about that time. He wanted to learn though. "Martin? Is it okay if we talk or would you rather be alone?"

Martin smiled privately. "You're always welcome. Brooks." He hadn't figured it out yet; what set Brooks apart from all other people in his life? Why did he trust the man unconditionally? Hopefully one day he'd find the answer to that question. He put the clothes on the hanger and hoped gravity would do its job during the night. He sucked at ironing. He sat down on the bed and waited for Brooks to join him. A moment later, the older man sat down next to him, but remained quiet, leaving it up to him. "What do you want to know?" He gazed at Brooks and wondered about the man's pensive expression.

"You weren't joking when you said you can't stand injustice, were you? During one of our first talks you told me you'd intervened whenever someone got into trouble with bigots." Seeing Martin nod, he continued, "I was worried when Ronnie's request came in. I'd carefully built my team and then the transfer request hit my desk, asking me to take on an ex Navy SEAL. Like Jackie, I worried. Bigots come in all shapes, also in the form of ex military. For the first few days I worried if you were going to accept me as your captain. I expected some sort of harassment, but you…" He grew quiet, wondering why he was telling Martin this.

Martin however, did understand, especially after witnessing Brooks getting death threats, his tires getting slashed and body parts delivered to his office. "I get it," he reassured the older man. "I might have been worried too in your place. Bigots are found everywhere. You can't be too cautious." His father was one. Nathan would have crushed Brooks without giving it a second thought. But he wasn't his father, thank God for that. "Thanks for making Jackie feel welcome. He might not show it, but he's insecure. He suffered a lot of harassment and it left its mark. He merely hides it better." Sometimes an uniform equaled armor, and in Jackie's case it certainly did. "You don't have to tag along tomorrow."

"No, I want to," Brooks quickly corrected Martin. "That's not it." Trying to shake some memories, he studied the dress uniform. "You need to iron it."

"I suck at that."

"We'll do it for you, this once. Then we'll teach you to do it yourself." Brooks winked. "I'll not steal your thunder tomorrow. I'll dress down." He'd decided against wearing his official uniform as he preferred a suit. As he'd hoped, Martin smiled. "You miss them, don't you? Your buddies."

Martin shrugged. "Sometimes. We had each other's back. That was the only thing that counted. It didn't matter what color your skin was, what religion you had or what your sexual orientation was. The moment someone puts a gun to your head, you need to be able to count on your mate to get you out alive. It makes you into a tight unit. I miss that, yes." The navy had been his family for many years.

"You've got us. We've got your back. Todd and I, Murtaugh, Bailey, Cruz, Ronnie, we're your family now."

Martin nodded. "I know that. It just takes a little time for me to fully believe that." He knew he was trying their patience, but learning to trust again wasn't easy. He hoped they understood that about him.

"Good." Brooks checked the time. It was ten PM and probably time to turn in for the night as they had a long and trying day ahead of them. Funerals were always exhausting. "Think you can sleep?" It wouldn't be the first time he'd sit with Martin to make sure he slept peacefully.

Martin wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to burden Brooks. "I'll be fine." Hopefully spending the evening in good company and reminiscing with Jackie kept his nightmares at bay. If not, he'd endure them. He just had to keep in mind they couldn't hurt him. It was all in his mind; none of it was real.

"I'll check on you during the night." Brooks got to his feet. "So don't overreact when you hear Todd or me moving about. Don't go to sleep clutching your gun, change into pajamas or sweats, and try to get some rest."

"I'll do my best," Martin promised. It was all he could do.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

I did my own take on a Navy SEAL funeral as I have no experience attending one, so it's probably not correctly written!

Part 4

Martin woke up at five in the morning. He'd slept relatively well and had been nightmare free for a change. The sun was already out and he pushed his pillow against the headboard, sitting up. Today wouldn't be easy. He looked forward to meeting up with old comrades, but regretted the reason they got together was to mourn the death of a friend.

Mack had been a good friend. They'd met up during his first tour and afterwards they were stationed together, forging a bond. Mack had always had this back. Even overseas or during missions when nightmares and flashbacks had tormented him. Mack had been there to wake him up and lent a listening ear. It had formed them into a well oiled team and they'd served the rest of their time together. When he'd been honorably discharged, Mack had opted to stay in the navy, becoming a drill instructor when his body could no endure the strains of another mission into enemy territory. He regretted not staying in touch, but they'd gone separate ways. The military had kept Mack busy and he had met Miranda. They had drifted apart.

Now that he was awake, he knew from personal experience that going back to sleep wasn't an option. So he got out of bed and stared at his wrinkled uniform. Gravity had let him down; he had to hunt down an iron anyway. The mere thought of putting the uniform back on filled him with mixed feelings. The navy had supplied him with a structured environment, rules, and he'd found something he excelled at; shooting. They'd quickly realized his talent and he'd been their number one sniper for years, even winning the 1000 Yard Invitational rifle competition three times in a row, which had gained him much esteem. Returning to that world, no matter how briefly, was a strange notion.

Martin got to his feet and soundlessly headed for the kitchen, as he didn't want to wake Brooks and Todd. He made coffee, scrambled egg and toast, which ended up on the dark side, but he ate it anyway, not believing in throwing away food. Sitting down at the kitchen table, he sipped from his coffee and stared out of the window. He wasn't sure he liked it being a sunny day. Rain might be more appropriate.

"Why are you up this early?" Todd, rubbing his eyes, headed for the kitchen counter and fixed himself a cup of tea. Then he sat down opposite Martin and studied the younger man. "Did you get any sleep?" He'd checked on Martin during the night and the Texan had been peacefully asleep, but he didn't know how long that had lasted.

"I slept okay, actually." Martin sipped again. "I need to iron my uniform. I can't show up like that. You keep an iron somewhere?"

Todd chuckled softly. "Do you even know how to iron your uniform?"

"I used to," Martin admitted. "But I'm not very good at it. At least I never burned anything!"

"I'll help," Todd offered, regretting that he couldn't support Martin during the funeral. "Did I already tell you that I've got a thing for guys in uniform?" Catching Martin's leering grin, he added, "I liked Brooks from the start, but he made dating him hard. The EMT's brought him in after he was shot during a drug raid. I operated on him and checked up on him. He was a difficult patient though, much worse than you."

"Then you should tag along today so you can satisfy your uniform fetish," Martin commented and wiggled an eyebrow.

"I'd better not," Todd quipped, but then grew serious again. "I'm sorry I can't be there, but I can't ask someone to cover for me again." He'd already done that too often lately, mostly so he could look after Martin.

"Don't feel bad about it," Martin reassured his friend. "Brooks will be there and Rog's tagging along too. I've got plenty support."

Todd smiled; he might be unable to attend the funeral, but there was something else he could do to help. "Fetch your uniform and let's take care of it. Make you look presentable."

"Thanks," Martin whispered. Todd's support meant a lot to him and he would never take it for granted.

/

It was seven AM. He still had time, but tried on his uniform nonetheless, hoping it still fit. Todd had helped him iron it and it looked fine. He smoothed his hair back, put on his cap and shifted it into place. He'd momentarily claimed their bedroom since it contained a full sized mirror. Critically he looked himself over and found everything in order. He just had to make sure he didn't stain or wreck it.

Todd whistled softly, watching Martin from the doorway. "Looking sharp!" Martin carried himself differently; the Texan stood straight and held his head high. He liked the change. To his surprise, Martin blushed. "Hey, no reason to be shy!"

Which was true, Martin realized. "Maybe Brooks should wear his uniform too."

"Not happening," Brooks said, upon hearing his name and wrapping an arm around his lover's shoulder. "Stop drooling, darling," he quipped. "Todd's right though. You look handsome. The uniform suits you." He moved closer and inspected the medals and insignia. When Ronnie had put in the transfer request he'd told Murtaugh that Riggs was a highly decorated war hero. Somewhere down the line, he'd forgotten about that. "Fill me in," he said and pointed at the medals, "what am I looking at?" And how had Martin earned them?

Martin grew flustered again and Todd frowned. The Texan almost seemed embarrassed, but what for? "Hey, I want to know too!"

Martin sighed and damned their curiosity. He couldn't deny them though; they'd made a perfectly reasonable request. Pointing at the medals, he named some of them, "US Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart." He wasn't going to elaborate. Some missions had been hell and he didn't want to be reminded of them.

Brooks noticed and exchanged a look with his lover, telling him they shouldn't push Martin on this. Maybe later, after the funeral, or in a couple of weeks from now when the veteran felt comfortable telling them. Like Todd, he noticed Martin's changed stance. The man carried himself differently. Being a SEAL was deeply ingrained on Martin and they often forgot he was much more than 'just' a detective. "We should be going," Brooks remarked, noticing the time. "I reckon you want to arrive on time."

"Yes, that would be best. Are you driving?" He'd rather not, as he was nervous.

"Sure, I'll drive." Brooks briefly rested a hand at Martin's lower back and guided him toward the doorway. "You ready to go? You didn't forget anything?"

"I'm all set." Wearing the uniform brought back memories and it started to feel like a second skin again. As they made their way over to Brooks' car, Martin made eye contact and murmured, "Thanks for tagging along." He was relieved he didn't have to do this alone.

"I've got your back. That's what friends are for," Brooks soothed the troubled younger man. He'd stay close and keep an eye on Martin.

/

Roger was already waiting for them at the Los Angeles National Cemetery. He wasn't the first though. The place was crawling with military personal. He might have even seen an admiral; last night he'd researched uniforms and insignia so he wouldn't embarrass Riggs. The moment Brooks' car pulled up, Roger headed toward it, catching a first look. "Riggs?" he whispered, stunned, when his partner got out of the car. If he hadn't known Brooks would accompany Riggs, he wouldn't have recognized the Texan. "That's quite the change!" The normally so scruffy Texan looked pristine and well groomed. He even wore white gloves! "Man, you held out on me!" Riggs had always made him believe the Texan didn't do well-dressed!

Martin rolled back his eyes. "Rog, stop it. It's just an uniform!" He didn't understand their reaction to seeing him in one. He'd worn a uniform for eight years! Fed up with them making fun of him, he headed for the ceremonial burial ground, absentmindedly returning the salute junior officers gave him.

Brooks and Roger stayed one step behind, just to make sure they remained out of trouble. This was unknown territory and the last thing they wanted was to embarrass Martin. Roger did know one thing though, the respect these officers paid Riggs was honest and sincere. They truly respected the Texan. "This is odd," Roger whispered, for Brooks' ears only. "I thought I knew Riggs and then this happens."

Brooks agreed and nodded. "Commander Riggs," he whispered back. "I wonder what he did to make that rank."

Roger grinned at his captain. "You did some research too?"

"I think we all did, Bailey in particular." Especially if her date with Jackie had gone well. "We should probably shut up now." They had reached the burial site and decided to head for the civilian section of the gathering. "Have you ever attended a funeral like this before?"

"No, it's my first one too." Curiously Roger looked about, noticing Riggs was now part of a larger group, assembling near the hearse which pulled up. "Must be hard on him."

Brooks nodded again. "He told me about Kennedy Macintyre, Mack. I got the feeling they shared a lot of history."

"I can't even imagine the situations he's been in overseas. I doubt I'd survive." It didn't matter that Riggs had received the best training or had been well equipped, the moment he'd entered enemy country, his life had been on the line twenty four seven. "Shit," he whispered, realizing Riggs was one of the men carrying the coffin. "Is he heading home with you once this is through? He shouldn't be alone today."

"I'll stay close. We'll both keep an eye on him, yes?" Brooks had realized the same thing. Martin would need them later on.

/

Martin drew in a deep breath; saying goodbye to Mack was harder than he'd imagined. His fellow Navy SEALS lined up in front of the coffin and waited for him to place his Navy SEAL Trident on the coffin and to pound it into the woodwork. As Mack's commanding officer this honor fell onto him. Once he was done, another Navy SEAL walked up to the coffin and placed his trident next to his. This went on for quite some time, as nearly two hundred Navy SEALs attended the funeral. Martin fought back his tears and kept his gaze locked on the coffin. This was their final goodbye.

/

Taken aback, Brooks watched them pay tribute to their fallen comrade. "Ever seen anything like this before?"

Roger shook his head. One Navy SEAL after another approached the coffin and pounded something into the woodwork. "Never. It's giving me chills," he admitted readily. "I'm surprised there are so many."

"Mack was well known," Jackie said, joining them now that the ceremony had come to an end. "This is our last chance to pay him our respects."

Brooks looked at the younger man and could have sworn those green eyes were swimming. "We tend to forget what you guys did for us. You fought wars so we were safe back at home. We should do more to honor that." Jackie's smile surprised him.

"Thanks, it's not often people admit that. I'll see you guys later. I think Marty needs some support." Jackie nodded at them and then left.

"He's right," Roger mused. "Riggs looks bad."

Since the gathering was breaking apart and everybody going their separate way, Brooks signaled for Roger to follow him. He headed straight for Martin, who was quietly talking to Jackie. Realizing words meant little in such circumstances, Brooks squeezed Martin's shoulder instead.

Martin looked up and smiled warmly at Brooks. "Thanks for staying."

"Of course!" How could Martin think he'd leave him during such a trying time? "Just let me know if you need anything."

"Riggs!"

Martin turned around and saluted. "Sir!" He hadn't realized admiral Wilson had joined them. Circumstances dictated decorum.

Roger's eyes narrowed. Damn, he was sure he was dealing with an admiral! And to make it even more interesting, said admiral knew Riggs!

"Well met, but there's no need for that among friends, Marty."

Wilson grabbed his hand and shook it, making Martin relax. "Well, old habits die hard, you know that."

"Sandler," Wilson said, acknowledging the junior officer, who saluted respectfully. "And who are these two?"

Martin was quick to explain. "This is Captain Avery, LAPD Robbery and Homicide division. And my partner, detective Roger Murtaugh." He hoped Roger wasn't going to embarrass him. The look Roger gave Wilson spelled trouble.

"Gentlemen," Wilson said, acknowledging them too. "You're exactly the people I need to talk to. Walk with me."

Brooks made eye contact and Martin nodded quickly. Yes, they'd better humor Wilson. The two of them might go way back, but the man was an admiral and his orders needed to be followed.

Brooks realized the same thing and nudged Roger along, while they fell into step with Wilson, who seemed headed for a heavily armored car.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Marty," Wilson started.

"I'll do whatever I can," Martin replied at once, forgetting he was no longer under Wilson's command, but as he'd said, old habits die hard. For the time being, he felt like he was back in the navy.

"I want you to look into Mack's death personally. He deserves a proper investigation. I want the killer apprehended and incarcerated," Wilson stated firmly. "Someone murdered one of our own. He deserves no mercy. We take care of our own, Riggs."

"Murdered?" escaped Brooks, then he recalled Jackie's reaction during dinner the other night. The junior officer had been unwilling to discuss the circumstances of Macintyre's death.

"Yes, look into it, Riggs, make sure justice is served. If you need anything, give me a call. Whatever I can do to help, I will!" Wilson nodded at them and then got into his car, telling his driver to start the engine. "Send me a copy of your report once you solve his murder. Now step on it, boy!" Wilson closed the door and the car took off.

"Wow, that's quite a character," Roger muttered beneath his breath.

"You have no idea." Martin grinned, fondly. Wilson could be rude, but he always had his men's backs. "Now, Jackie, start sharing. You've been holding back."

Jackie reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, I probably should tell you, but not here."

"We can drop by the station," Roger suggested. "I need coffee." It was way too early to deal with such complications! Plus, he wanted to see Bailey's and Cruz' reactions to catching Riggs in uniform.

Martin didn't like that suggestion one bit. He'd have preferred to change clothes, but also knew they couldn't lose time. If Wilson was right and Mack had been murdered, he wanted to get started ASAP.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

Bailey had a hard time believing her eyes, realizing not one, but two guys in uniform marched into the bullpen. She recognized Jackie at once. They'd spent a lovely evening and she liked him, but knew a relationship was doomed, as he would rejoin his unit shortly. However, that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy spending time with him. Her gaze honed in on the other man in uniform, who looked equally dashing – that was until she realized she was staring at Riggs.

Cruz, who was typing up a report, raised his head and looked straight into Riggs' eyes. Murtaugh had told him that Riggs was a veteran, but he hadn't fully realized that – until now.

Martin cursed beneath his breath as he felt their eyes upon him. He'd known it; he should have headed to Brooks' place first to change his outfit. Too bad he'd never bothered to keep a spare outfit in his desk drawer; it would certainly come in handy now! To make things even worse, he caught the elevator doors opening and Cahill getting out. Perfect, this was just perfect! He'd been wrong when he'd assumed things couldn't get worse as he suddenly realized he'd missed another session! He cringed, as he really wasn't in the mood to be interrogated by her.

Maureen searched the bullpen for her elusive patient. Riggs hadn't shown up at nine PM, hadn't texted or called her. She worried that something bad had happened to him. Lately he'd been good and attended all sessions, even cooperating for his standards. She didn't want him to slip back into depression. "Captain," she said, addressing Avery. "Do you have any idea where I can find Riggs? He didn't show up this morning!"

Brooks, enjoying this although he shouldn't, inclined his head toward the Texan. "Well, doctor, he's right here."

Maureen frowned, as she didn't see Riggs anywhere. But then she looked at the uniformed man standing next to Avery. "Riggs?" Confused, she stared at him. Was that really Riggs? Clad in uniform and looking sober and alert? She sighed in relief. Apparently she'd needlessly worried. Riggs was still in one piece and sober. It was more than she'd dared hope for. "What's going on?"

"Sorry about missing our appointment," Martin said, hoping she was willing to reschedule without causing a stir. "I was busy."

"Busy? And why are you in uniform?" Maureen looked to Avery for an explanation, knowing Riggs might serve up half truths. She'd never seen Riggs like this before – it definitely helped her revise her opinion of him. She knew he was a veteran, but had never seen this side of him.

"We attended a funeral, Maureen." Brooks decided to step in, knowing only too well that Martin needed support instead of criticism. Maureen was good at what she did, but she wasn't up to date. She needed to know what was going on. "A good friend of Martin died and we buried him this morning. He was a Navy SEAL and the funeral was… let's say impressive."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Maureen said at once. She hadn't known that. Yes, he could have let her know, but she knew he tended to stop thinking rationally when he felt emotional. As he was still in uniform, she realized he'd just returned from the funeral and emotionally, he was probably in turmoil. "If you want to talk about it, let me know. I'll reschedule our appointment." Maureen recognized the relief in his eyes, telling her she'd come on too strong. "I'm sincere, Riggs. I'm here, if you need me."

"Thanks," Martin whispered, ill at ease since this was happening in the bullpen. He could do without the witnesses.

"Why don't we move this into my office?" Brooks suggested. "We got a case to solve." And he wanted to give Martin some privacy.

"What case?" Bailey had kept her distance until now, but if she could help doing some good old fashioned police work she wanted to help.

"We're looking into Kennedy Macintyre's death – the officer whose funeral we just attended. There's reason to believe he was murdered," Brooks explained while leading the way to his office.

"Wait, did you say Kennedy Macintyre?" Cruz, who had listened in, joined them. "That's the case Bailey and I are working on."

Roger looked at his partner and noticed the distinct flinch that shook the Texan's body. This had to be hard on Riggs.

Martin removed his cap and ran his fingers through his hair. "We'd better get to work then." Wilson was right; there was a case. Mack had been killed and a murderer was still running loose. He had a bad guy to catch!

Maureen noticed Riggs' fatigue, the wariness that slipped into his features, and wanted to reach out. "Maybe I can help too?"

"Okay, let's move this into my office and get started, people." It was time he took control. He was captain for a reason!

/

Placing his gloves inside his cap, Martin rested it in his lap. Brooks had told him and Jackie to sit down and they'd followed that order. It was good to be off his feet after such a taxing morning. Martin tried his hardest to focus on the information Bailey was giving them, but had a hard time concentrating. Jackie appeared to have similar problems.

Bailey wasn't looking forward to briefing them. It wasn't a pretty story she had to share; it was a grizzly one and the fact that Riggs knew their victim made it personal. "Kennedy Macintyre was found four days ago. We didn't have an ID at first, since the body was heavily mutilated. His dental records eventually led us to his identity." She hated being the bearer of such gruesome news, having seen Riggs flinch upon hearing the body had been mutilated. She had more horrendous information to share and looked at her captain pleadingly. Did they really have to do this now? It was clear Riggs was still hurting.

"Go on, Bailey," Martin muttered, wanting this over with. Jackie would leave in a couple of hours and Wilson would most certainly want to know if they'd made progress. Wilson would interrogate Jackie until the admiral was up to date.

Brooks nodded, telling Bailey to continue. He'd rather not do this now either, but knew they had no choice. He sought out Cahill's gaze, hoping she'd intervene if she felt the information overwhelmed Martin. She nodded at him, letting him know she was monitoring their Texan.

"Where was Mack found?" Martin raised his head and looked at her, knowing Bailey had a hard time telling them. "It's fine. We can deal with this."

Bailey however wasn't sure that was the case, but proceeded any way. "He was found on the Calabasas Landfill. An employee called it in. Forensics worked the site but there was too much contamination. The only lead we have are traces of Flunitrazepam, also known as Rohypnol, and other substances in his blood, which were the cause of death, as we didn't find any evidence of blunt trauma or bullet wounds."

Martin nodded. So that was why Wilson wanted him personally to look into it. "I want everything you have on his case." He was going to find the murderer. He looked at Brooks, hoping his captain was able to read between the lines without him having to voice a request.

Brooks understood. "It's your case, Riggs," he said, and then addressed the rest of his team. "Murtaugh, make sure everything is done according to protocol. We need to do this right. We can't afford the perp to get off due to a technicality. Bailey, Cruz, you'll continue to work the case. Support Riggs and Murtaugh the best you can. Now, the three of you get back to work, Martin, you're staying. We need to talk."

Jackie got to his feet after exchanging a look with Marty. "I wish I could stay and help, but I need to get back. Keep in touch, Marty. Let me know what's happening. I want that son of a bitch found too."

Martin nodded. "I'll keep you up to date." Jackie said his goodbyes and left. Martin drew in a deep breath and realized the rest of the team was heading toward their desks. He was about to follow them, when Brooks' voice registered with him.

"Not you. Sit down. We need to talk."

"Do we?" Martin pleadingly looked at his friend and captain.

"It won't take long." Brooks waited for Murtaugh to close the door and then covered the distance between them. He leaned against his desk and studied the Texan. "I want you to head home. Take an hour or two to recharge. I know you want out of that uniform and back into casual clothes. Take a shower, have some coffee and eat, since you skipped breakfast and lunch. You're no good exhausted. If you want to find your friend's killer you need your wits about you." He checked the time. If they were lucky, Todd would be back at home by now. "Get going, Marty." Would the Texan let him get away with him calling him that? Martin shot him a dirty look, that much was true, but didn't tell him off.

Martin let it slide. It wasn't worth getting upset about. He needed to preserve his energy, and besides, Brooks was right. He did want to head home, change into civilian clothes and get started on the case. "Aye, sir," he said as he got to his feet.

Brooks wondered what was up when Martin remained in place. "What's wrong?"

"I want to thank for what you did for me today, tagging along, supporting me and now letting me work the case." He felt awkward, even shy, thanking Brooks.

"I've got your back, remember?" Brooks gently reminded him. "Now get going."

Martin nodded and smiled gratefully. It was time to hunt down some bad guys!

/

On his way out, Martin ran into Ronnie Delagdo. Like always, his father in law's timing sucked. "Ronnie," he said, acknowledging the older man and intending to make his way over to the elevators. Ronnie however effectively blocked his path, making him frown. What was it this time?

Ronnie looked his son in law over, surprised to find Martin in uniform. He'd never seen him wear it before. "Did I miss something? Did you enlist again?" Seeing Martin dressed like that was odd and he needed to get used to it.

"No, I attended a friend's funeral," Martin told his father in law, knowing Ronnie would keep pestering him until he'd told him. "I was heading home to change before working a case. I can hardly go after bad guys dressed like this." Hopefully Ronnie wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. From the corner of his eye, he caught Brooks exiting his office and heading his way.

Ronnie wished he'd known what Martin was going through. They kept in touch now Martin returned his messages; the younger man however never told him something out of his own accord. It was like pulling teeth. "I'm sorry to hear that. If I'd known, I would have been there for you."

"Brooks tagged along," Martin whispered, feeling guilty about ignoring his father in law. He'd wanted to deepen the contact, but somehow he always forgot about it. "And Rog too." Brooks arched an eyebrow and inclined his head toward Ronnie, trying to tell him something, but Martin had no idea what. When Brooks mouthed 'dinner' he thought he might have caught on.

"Thanks for being there for Marty, Brooks." If only Marty started sharing things with him! He really wanted to support the younger man.

"Don't mention it," Brooks said, determined not to make a big deal out of it. He gave Martin another expectant look and mouthed 'dinner' again. Was Martin just slow to catch on, or dense for a reason?

Martin got it, but was working up the courage to actually reach out to Ronnie. He'd neglected his father in law and he felt guilty because of that. "Maybe we can do dinner sometime?" He hoped he'd gotten Brooks' suggestion right and looked at him for confirmation. Brooks' sigh told him he hadn't.

"I'd love to!" Ronnie smiled at his son in law, thrilled Martin was reaching out.

"What Martin is trying to say," Brooks said, intervening, "is that we would love to have you over for dinner tonight. If you can make it, that is." He suspected Ronnie wanted to show his support too.

Ronnie had appointments to keep, but decided to move them instead. Now that Martin was reaching out, he was going to make it work. "Is seven fine?" He did have to make some calls and move prior engagements, but ever since the young man had taken those bullets for Brooks he'd been waiting for a chance to deepen their relationship and he wasn't going to screw up now!

"Perfect, we'll see you then. Now, Martin, weren't you heading somewhere?" Brooks had the feeling Martin might feel better once he'd donned casual clothes.

"Yeah, home," Martin muttered beneath his breath. "I'm going."

Brooks smiled when Martin headed for the elevator. That young man was making great process!

"Brooks?" Ronnie waited for his friend to make eye contact and then said, "Home is where?" He hoped it wasn't the trailer. Hopefully Martin had stopped hiding there.

Brooks, only know realizing what Martin had said, grinned broadly. "Apparently my place." He couldn't be happier. "He feels at home there," he elaborated. "He's hardly at his trailer anymore."

"Good, that's good to hear," Ronnie whispered and nodded. "Tell me more about this funeral you attended. Who died? What's going on?" If he wanted to be there for Martin, he had to know what had happened.

/

Todd had only just arrived home when he heard the door open. They'd given Martin his own key two weeks ago when it became apparent the young man had unofficially moved in. He still recalled Martin's expression upon receiving his key; the Texan had quickly averted his gaze, unable to make eye contact that moment. "Hey, you're back." Todd walked into the corridor and caught the second Martin tried to pull up his walls; he was hurting badly. "Why don't you change your clothes and then join me in the kitchen? A nice cup of tea will help." Plus, he'd lent a listening ear, if Martin was willing to talk.

"I'll do just that." Martin quickly headed upstairs, undressed and carefully put the uniform on a hanger, just in case he needed it again. Hopefully not for another funeral, but since his newest case was related to Mack, he couldn't rule out the fact that it had something to do with the Navy SEALs. Five minutes later, he joined Todd in the kitchen. He sat down at the kitchen table and whispered a thank you upon accepting Todd's favorite Redbush tea. The flavor still didn't appeal to him, but he'd drink it.

"How did things go?" Todd sat down next to Martin and wrapped his fingers around his tea mug. Brooks had kept him up to date via texts, so he knew the ceremony had been poignant. However, he wanted to know how Martin had experienced it. "How are you doing?"

Martin shrugged. The moment he'd realized Todd was home, he'd known the other man would want to talk. He was okay with that, but searched for the right words to express himself. "Losing another good friend is hard," he said eventually, "especially since I never got the chance to tell him goodbye. We lost touch when I left the navy. Mack stayed on to train the next generation."

"He was a good friend," Todd deduced, hoping the statement would cause Martin to elaborate.

"Yeah, a lot of the younger guys thought of him as a mentor." Martin sipped, recalling those times. "Every now and then a bigot slips past the sorting process and tries to dominate the new arrivals. Mack hated that and he would always set them straight. The SEALs aren't perfect, but most of us don't care about skin color, religion, or whether you're gay. It doesn't matter when you're back to back fighting the enemy and keeping each other alive. We always try to root out the bad ones ourselves." Looking at Todd, he wondered about the other man. "Brooks said you got bullied too." Why would anyone do that? Knowing Todd, he'd been the helpful and caring kind while growing up. Why else would he have chosen to become a surgeon?

"Pestered is more like it," Todd said dismissively. "They didn't realize I was gay straight away. At first I was just another surf dude and I was always popular with the girls."

Martin nodded. Even though nowadays trips to the beach were rare, Todd still maintained his tan and excellent physical shape. The shoulder long blond hair wouldn't have given him away either as a lot of surfers wore it that way. Hell, even he didn't wear his hair short! "What happened?" This time it was Todd sipping, trying to stall.

"I met this guy. His name was Mark and we spend time surfing. Things happened; we fell in love and ended up dating. Some guys at the university noticed. I never planned to out myself, but when they did it for me, I had no choice and came out of the closet. I'd have preferred to finish university first."

There was something else though; something Todd wasn't telling him. "That's all?" He wasn't going to call him on it though. He respected Todd too much for that. The fact that Todd actually avoided looking at him worried him though.

"My parents accept the fact that I'm gay. The rest of my family doesn't. Heck, my brothers ignore me these days. I haven't spoken to them in almost ten years. As far as they're concerned I no longer exist."

"Fuck, you don't deserve that. What's wrong with people these days?" Martin wasn't sure why he did it, but wrapped his fingers around Todd's left hand. "I'm sorry about that. They're stupid!"

Todd actually chuckled. "Yeah, that's true." He still hadn't fully accepted they wanted nothing more to do with him, and he probably never would since it hurt. "I might have lost my brothers, but I did gain a very good friend, Martin."

Martin actually blushed; he couldn't stop it. He hoped he wouldn't disappointed Todd.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

Martin studied the reports Brooks had brought home with him. Mack's death was still very much a mystery. The garble disposal site hugely complicated the matter. Whoever had dumped the body there, had known the body would suffer terribly, being exposed to the elements and getting eaten by the eager scavengers roaming the sky in search of food. There hadn't been much left of the body. Lifting fingerprints had been impossible and they'd only identified Mack due to his dental records. Scorsese put the moment of death at a week ago, but also remarked exact pinpointing was impossible. The body had been naked; the killer had stripped Mack before dumping him. The anger that built in the pit of his stomach gained in intensity the longer he read. The body had been treated with no respect at all. Whoever had done this wanted to make it very clear that he considered Mack trash. It only hardened his determination to find the perp.

Bailey was right; their only current lead was in the blood work. Mack didn't do drugs, Martin knew that, so it would be their starting point. Who had administered the drugs, why, and how would had the murderer gotten their hands on them? He needed Bailey and Cruz to do their magic. Also, he had to find out what Mack had been doing in LA in the first place. Mack tended to avoid big cities, hating getting caught up in their hassle.

Brooks sat down next to Martin and eyed him worriedly. "Do you really want to work this case? If you prefer it, I can look into it personally. Dealing with this can't be easy."

Martin closed the report and placed it on the coffee table. "I appreciate the offer," he said, telling himself to rein it in and to regain control over his emotions. "But I need to do this." He didn't worry about Wilson; the admiral would look into the matter himself, if he came up empty, Martin knew that. Wilson possessed way more resources to find out what had happened to Mack, but this was a matter of honor. He owed Mack to find the killer. "We have no real leads yet."

"True," Brooks agreed, "but Cruz and Bailey are already retracing your friend's steps, finding out what he was doing the days before he died. They're also checking on the substances found in Mack's system. Give them some time to do their thing. Murtaugh is also looking into it. You know he's a good cop. If there are any leads, he'll find them and you'll be the first to know. Have some faith in them!"

Martin knew Brooks was right, but he wanted to be out there himself instead of having dinner with Ronnie in half an hour. "Why did you invite him?" Why did it have to be tonight? He should be hunting a killer instead!

"Because you need to calm down, Martin. If I let you go out there, your rashness will cost you dearly. You need to spend the evening among friends and family and tomorrow, you'll hopefully have started processing what happened." Brooks wouldn't have let Martin leave, even if the Texan had insisted. He'd have found a way to keep him at the house. "Is having Ronnie over really so challenging?" He thought he knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from Martin.

Forcing himself to speak the truth, Martin said, "I don't know how to act around him. I wronged him, I know that. I shut him out when he was hurting and I should have let him in instead. God knows he tried. I made it so hard on him and I regret that." Maybe he should apologize.

"Ronnie gets that," Brooks reassured the younger man. "Did you see how happy your dinner invitation made him?"

"Yeah, I did," he admitted reluctantly. "I'll try," he promised, giving Brooks a sincere look. "I hope he can be patient a little longer. This will take me time."

"He knows that too, Martin."

The doorbell rang and Martin cringed. "Ronnie's early."

"That's how eager he is to spend time with you. Go, answer the door and show him in. Offer him some coffee, or tea, if he prefers that. You know him better than me."

"He's a coffee addict." Martin got to his feet and told himself to man up. How hard could having dinner with Ronnie be?

/

Martin opened the door and felt nervous at finding Ronnie standing opposite him. Until now, he'd avoided dealing with his father in law. Even while recovering, he'd tried to lock him out. "Step inside," he said, hopefully welcomingly. "Thanks for coming."

Ronnie felt slightly bemused upon realizing Martin was nervous. That was new. "Thanks for having me!" He removed his coat and studied his son in law. "You look tired, Marty." He was curious to find out if Martin would still shut him out or let him in. He couldn't be sure, but he had the feeling something had changed.

"I had a rough day," Martin admitted as he stepped aside to let Ronnie move into the living room. "I didn't know Mack had died."

"Marty," Ronnie started and rested the palms of his hands against the younger man's face, slightly raising his head so he could search those brown eyes. "You're allowed to hurt. You said goodbye to a good friend and fellow SEAL. It's okay to feel exhausted." Hopefully he'd get through to him.

Martin managed a weak smile. "Thanks." The easy way with which Ronnie reached out and touched him never ceased to amaze him. He himself wasn't a tactile person; he would never instigate touch – not after losing Miranda.

"You do know you can talk to me? I want to help. I want to be there for you, if only you let me in."

Martin cringed; he wanted to take a step back, but Ronnie was still cradling his head in his hands and he didn't want to be rude. "It's hard," he admitted reluctantly, reminding himself to try. "It'll take time."

"I'm fine with that, Marty." Ronnie was thrilled; he was finally getting through to the Texan. He gently smoothed back the wayward hair and smiled at the younger man. "So this is home now?" he asked, letting go and creating some distance, which he thought Martin needed at that very moment.

Ronnie's question stunned him, but then he realized the truth. "It seems like it." When had he been at the trailer for the last time? He couldn't remember. Two weeks ago? Looking about, he allowed that truth to fully sink in. "Yeah, it is."

Ronnie nodded approvingly. "I'm happy for you." He'd offered Martin a home too, but had quickly realized it wasn't what Martin needed. His son in law needed to make a fresh start.

"Ronnie! It's good to have you!" Brooks welcomed his guest and guided him towards the table. "You remember Todd, don't you?" They had met once or twice at charity functions when he'd dragged along his reluctant life partner.

"Yes, I do. It's a pleasure to see you again!"

The four of them sat down and started eating. Brooks noticed the odd mood, but failed to label it. Their small talk was pleasant, the food good, and no one missed having alcoholic beverages and still, something puzzled him. It wasn't until later, when they'd made themselves comfortable in the sitting area when Brooks realized what it was. Martin wasn't keeping Ronnie at a distance. Maybe the Texan wasn't talking that much, but he wasn't ignoring Ronnie either. Martin was actually working on keeping his walls down and letting Ronnie see behind the mask he'd worn for so long. It confirmed that inviting Ronnie over for dinner had been the right thing to do.

/

Later that evening, when Martin went to bed, he closed his eyes and replayed the day's events in his mind's eye. A lot had happened; they'd buried Mack, the team had taken on the task of finding his killer and he'd spent the evening with Ronnie without wanting out. A soft knock on his door interrupted his thoughts and he looked up. Brooks stood in the doorway, wearing satin, midnight blue pajamas. The sight caused him to chuckle.

Brooks took it in stride and made his way over to the bed. He sat down on the side and searched Martin's eyes. "Having dinner with Ronnie was okay, wasn't it?" Martin had appeared comfortable.

"It was doable," he conceded and pulled the duvet up to his shoulders after turning onto his side, facing Brooks. There was something on his mind, but he wasn't sure he should bring it up.

Martin's facial expression easily told Brooks something was up. "What's on your mind?"

"I realized something today," Martin whispered, pressing deeper into the comfort of the bed. He'd gotten used to sleeping in one after all; he hadn't thought it possible. But then, it wasn't about the bed itself. It was about the house it stood in and the people that made it home. "I think of this place as home." Brooks' smile nearly blinded him. What the hell?

"That makes me very happy." Brooks had hoped Martin would one day feel like that, but to actually hear it was something he hadn't expected. "Todd and I love having you here, you know that, don't you? You'll always have a home here." He grinned, trying to do away with the increasingly nervous look in Martin's eyes. "You can take care of us when we're old and need help!"

Emotions he'd seldom allowed into the light of day caused him to choke up. "I'd love to, since it means you stayed safe and didn't die on me."

Brooks had intended for his remark to lighten their mood, but had actually achieved the exact opposite. "We're not going to die on you. Todd and I plan to grow old together. No more gloomy thoughts like that." But he couldn't blame Martin after the day they'd had. "Think you can go to sleep or do you want me to stay for a while? I don't mind, whatever makes you comfortable." He had the feeling Martin needed him around, which was why he'd offered.

Martin hated imposing on Brooks, but knew from personal experience that ignoring his own emotional turmoil would most probably result in nightmares. "Can you stay till I'm asleep?"

Brooks considered his options. The wingback chair had become a permanent room fixture, but it was too far away from the bed. Martin needed him close. "Make way," he said as he shifted on the bed and stretched on his side, facing the younger man. "And share!" he warned Martin as he tried to cover himself up with the duvet.

Martin grinned and complied. "Are you sure about that?" Brooks however merely moved closer and hogged most of the duvet, which was fine with him.

"Very sure, now close your eyes and get some sleep." Today had been exhausting and Brooks suspected the next couple of days would be equally draining now that they'd started hunting for Mack's murderer.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

Bailey was glad to help out and it didn't take Cruz long to offer his assistance when she hit a road block. The two of them had become a well oiled team and she had to admit she'd missed him while Cruz had been riding with Murtaugh. Slowly but steadily the Mexican was becoming dear to her. She chuckled privately, watching him prepare their presentation. From what she'd gathered his life had been difficult. Yes, she'd worked hard to earn her spot within the Robbery and Homicide department, but he'd been dealt a much worse hand. She knew that.

"I'm ready," Cruz announced. "We should update Riggs." They'd made progress and he really felt they'd discovered some promising leads. At least he hoped Riggs thought so. He didn't want to disappoint the man.

"Let's do this," Bailey agreed and together they marched into Avery's office where Riggs, Murtaugh and the captain himself were waiting.

"What did you find?" Martin felt anxious to get started. He wanted to put away Mack's killer ASAP.

"A lot of stuff," Bailey said after receiving a nod from Cruz. He preferred her to do most of the talking; he'd elaborate if necessary. Presenting Riggs with the newest data, she explained, "The first thing we did was to retrace his steps. Macintyre arrived in LA about ten days ago, approximately three days before he died. He booked a room at the Best Western Midtown. He paid for four days in advance. I reckon that's how long he planned to stay." She looked at Cruz, signaling him to tell them about his findings.

Cruz would have preferred Bailey to handle it, but he complied. "We talked with staff. Your friend wanted to know how to get to the Falltime, a gay bar with a certain reputation."

Brooks groaned. He'd ended up there once, coming to someone's aid, and had hated every second spent at that place. "Rough folk."

Cruz nodded, figuring his captain might know about it. The older man's reaction however also told him Avery didn't like the place much. "Lots of chains and leather," he confirmed. Cautiously, Cruz made eye contact with Riggs, wondering how the detective would react to finding out where his mate had gone.

Martin however wasn't surprised. "You have no idea of the kind of bars we visited throughout the years," he explained. "But not for the reason you might think we did. We usually ended up at such places to retrieve naïve newbies who were being framed by the older SEALs, who wanted to mess with them. Mack and I ended up doing some good old fashioned bar brawling to get them out!" He had fond memories of those times. "If Mack went there it was to get someone out of trouble."

Brooks knew he had to be delicate, but had a hard time putting his next question to Martin. "How sure are you Mack didn't go there because he was into that particular scene?"

"Very sure," Martin said at once. "You might not believe it, but he hated violence. The few one night stands he had were with women. Believe me, it's difficult to hide something like that when you're together twenty four seven. You'll slip up at one point, and frankly, it didn't matter who you banged. As long as it was consensual, no one cared."

"Let's assume Mack went there because someone was in trouble and he wanted to help out, who might that have been?" Roger tended to believe his partner. Riggs knew what he was talking about.

"There are several military bases in the vicinity," Martin informed them. "Maybe we should check if they're missing recruits?"

"We'll do that," Bailey said, writing it down. "We got more though." Seeing Riggs' hopeful expression made her feel grateful she could help out. "Falltime has shown up repeatedly in our searches. We traced down six males, who either vanished after frequenting that bar or turned up dead. Two are still missing," she said, pointing at their pictures on the screen. "Frank Simmons and Gene Richards. As far as we can tell they were a couple who often visited the bar. They disappeared one month ago after spending the evening celebrating a friend's birthday. We also found four homicides related to Falltime.

First up is Sam Withing, who was last seen at the bar and then found downtown. Next we have Dick Green, found in a garbage truck when it was ready to unload its load. A garbage man had noticed something odd and called it in. Green was naked and in his case, the eyes were missing. The third victim is Mark Scott. The man was found on the Puente Hills Landfill. Naked again and with his hands and feet missing. The last victim was Dave Darcy. He too was found on the Puente Hills Landfill. His genitalia were missing. All four men had enough drugs in their system to kill them. The same kind we found in your friend's blood." Now that she had delivered the grizzly news, Bailey sat down and looked at her captain, anticipating his question.

"Were they gay?" Brooks didn't like this. Why hadn't he known about this happening in his city?

"According to friends and family, yes. All six men were out of the closet. They weren't secretive about it," Bailey replied, suspecting her captain might take a personal interest in this case and she didn't blame him.

"Why didn't we know about this?" Roger said, after realizing Avery was struggling with his emotions. His normally so composed captain obviously had a hard time hearing about this.

"Vice was working those cases. Since they're now connected to our victim, we took them off their hands." Cruz hated seeing his captain upset. During his short time with the homicide department the older man had gained his respect, which was no easy feat.

"They're ours now and we're going to solve them," Roger said, before Avery could comment. "Let's start at Falltime. Riggs," he added, wagging a finger at his partner, "don't wreck the place and don't beat up anyone until we questioned them!"

"I'll behave," Martin promised. "I want to do this according to the book, Rog. The perp doesn't get to walk away on a technicality."

"Be careful," Brooks warned them. "That clientele will give you a hard time."

"They can try," Martin replied while shrugging. He'd retaliate if necessary. No matter how, he would get his answers!

/

It was early when they arrived at the bar and it was still closed for business. Roger knocked on the door and when a staff member rudely opened it and snarled at him, he simply flashed his badge. "LAPD, we got questions and want to talk to management."

After carefully studying their badges, the man gestured for them to follow him. As he walked over to the bar, he called out, "Leroy, it's the cops!"

Leroy turned around and studied them closely. What did they want from him? "How can I help you?" he asked while continuing cleaning up the bar area. They'd open in an hour and he wanted everything ready.

Leroy reminded him of his father's friends, Martin mused. Tall, probably six foot one, bulky, with millimeter short hair and bursting with tattoos all over his upper body, Leroy sent a clear message, one, which Martin didn't bother to heed. Why should he? "We got some pictures for you to look at, Leroy, buddy." He placed seven pictures on the counter, Mack's photo first, since Leroy might remember him. Then the pictures of the two missing men and four coroner shots of the murder victims. "See anyone you know?" Like Roger, he closely monitored Leroy's reaction.

Roger noticed the genuine shock on the man's face. Leroy's facial features contorted and he grew still, staring at the pictures. "You knew them."

"Yeah, except for this one here," and he pointed at the first picture, "they were all regulars. These two are a couple and the others… Damn, I had a bad feeling when they stopped coming in!"

Martin blinked at seeing Leroy's eyes growing moist. This tough guy was about to cry?

Leroy quickly wiped away the tear that escaped him. "Who does something like that? It's messed up! Why kill them? Just because they're gay?"

"We're trying to find out," Roger answered and exchanged a look with his partner. He hadn't expected that particular reaction either.

"Seriously?" Leroy resumed cleaning, pointedly ignoring the pictures. "Since when do cops care about what happens to us?"

"We do," Martin said at once, but understood the sentiment. "Do you remember this guy coming in?" He pointed at Mack's photo.

"I do," Leroy confirmed, turning his back and retrieving several bottles. "He came in three nights in a row, but something felt off." Leroy put the bottles on the counter and looked at the cops. "He wasn't hitting on anyone. He just sat at the bar and studied the crowd. No one bothered him, he had this vibe going on."

"Did anyone approach him? Did he talk to anyone?" Martin told himself to be patient; at least they were off to a good start. Leroy recalled seeing all victims.

"I'm not sure," Leroy said, thinking it over. "I was busy tending the bar. But nothing that stood out; no fights, nothing out of the ordinary. I don't know what happened when he left. What happens outside is a different ball game."

"Thanks," Martin said and collected the pictures. "Any other new customers that drew your attention?" He hadn't thought Leroy would be so cooperative!

"We don't get loads of new faces," Leroy mused as he poured himself some beer. "But we do get them. But everything has been remarkably quiet lately. There's a new bar that caters to the same crowd and we're steadily losing customers to them."

"Thanks for your help." Maybe they should check out that new place too, Roger mused.

"Oh wait!" Leroy called them back as the cops had been marching toward the exit. "There's one new customer that stands out. He showed up the night after that last guy vanished. Huge fellow, probably two hundred fifty pounds. The quiet type. He drinks shitloads of coffee, which I normally don't serve, but I felt it was in my best interest to humor him. He comes in at nine, stays until closing time and then leaves. He doesn't talk much; he watches mostly."

"Nine, you say?" Martin's eyes narrowed at Roger.

"Yip, nine." Leroy nodded privately. "Hey, if you really want to find the killer, I'll help."

"Why? Because it's bad for business?" Roger wanted to know why Leroy was that helpful.

Leroy grunted, displeased. "Hey, we might not have been friends, but those guys came in here for years. I want that pervert behind bars. I might be next, you know."

Which made sense, Martin acknowledged. "Fine. We'll be back at nine. Point out the guy to us."

"The two of you?" Leroy chuckled. "Your partner screams cop. No one will want to talk to you!"

Roger frowned deeply, which made Martin grin. "Maybe I should bring Avery instead. I don't want to come in here, guns blazing and announcing we're LAPD." Their plan might backfire, and Leroy was right; they might want to blend in instead.

"What does that mean? You can pass for gay?" Insulted, though Roger wasn't sure why, he glared at Riggs.

"Yeah, he doesn't stand out the way you do. He fits in," Leroy explained; that blond guy could play hard to get, which a lot of customers would buy.

"Avery's going to love your suggestion," Roger said in a sarcastic tone. He wished Riggs good luck selling that idea to their captain!

/

"Looks like our killer finds his victims at Falltime," Bailey reminisced, "We should definitely find out more."

Martin concurred. "I'm going back when it's open. Leroy agreed to point the guy out to us, but I can't take Rog along. They'll sniff you out the moment you step into that bar." Roger disliked not having his back; his partner's gaze told him clearly, but he couldn't take the risk. He had to catch this guy and seeing Roger would cause suspicions.

"I still can't believe the guy thinks you can pass as gay!" Roger glared at his partner, though being honest, he had the feeling Riggs could adapt to a lot of situations. The Texan would blend in, he wouldn't. "But you're not heading in there alone. Someone needs to cover your back."

Brooks calmly looked at Martin. He knew what he had to do. "I'll tag along." He hated bars like Falltime, but that didn't mean he couldn't fit in if he needed to.

"Yeah, about that," Martin said and cringed a little. He didn't want to endanger Brooks. He'd rather known him safely at his office. "Not sure that's a good idea, cap."

So they were back to playing these games? Brooks wasn't impressed. "I've handled tougher crowds. I know to how to deal with those guys. Don't try to protect me – again! It nearly got you killed in the past!"

Roger nodded approvingly. He wasn't sure either if Avery should go back into the field. He didn't doubt his former partner's abilities as a cop, but Avery had been out of the game for a year now. His reflexes had slowed down. "Maybe Riggs is right."

Cruz, who had been quiet up until then, interrupted. "Maybe I can help?" He might not come across as gay, but he could deal with a crowd like that. It wouldn't mess with him and he had the feeling the situation would screw with Avery. Like Riggs and Murtaugh, he disliked the idea of their captain exposing himself to danger.

Brooks shook his head and raised a hand to silence Martin, who'd been about to accept Cruz' offer; he was sure of that. "Not happening. You guys don't know what to expect and I've seen it all. I can handle them!" He was no shrinking violet!

Martin still didn't like it, but he couldn't go against a direct order. Brooks still was his captain. "In that case, I suggest you dress down. Scruffy would be better."

Brooks eyed Martin closely. "You have no idea how this works, do you?"

Martin blinked, wondering what Brooks was referring to. "How what works?"

"Oh, you'll find out," Brooks promised; Martin however might not like it.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8

It was ten PM when they pulled up to the bar. Martin wished Brooks would reconsider. His captain hadn't changed his outfit and still wore his suit. Just what had Brooks implied earlier? Well, he was going to find out. "Are you sure you want to do this? Last call!"

"Stop being so melodramatic!" Brooks got out of the truck and smoothed out the fabric of his suit. "Let's do this." They'd discussed their game plan earlier. They'd have a look around, see if the mystery guy had shown up and keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

"We could pretend being on a date." Martin wiggled an eyebrow. "Wouldn't be our first, honey."

Brooks rolled back his eyes. "Do you really think they'll buy us dating?" He stepped into the bar and ignored the shiver running down his spine. He hated bars like this. Several eyes checked them out and he pretended not noticing them.

Martin, feeling awfully protective of Brooks, stayed close and glared at everyone merely looking at his companion.

Brooks couldn't help himself; he grinned. "Are you back on guard duty?" Back when his life had been in danger, Martin had growled at everyone at the precinct too.

"Oh yes," Martin acknowledged. "I want them to know you're with me so they don't start anything."

Brooks' grin widened. "You do realize that I'm probably not the one they're interested in? These guys go for bulky and muscular!"

"I'm not so sure about that," Martin returned, having realized Brooks was wrong and wondering about it. He walked up to Leroy, placed an arm around Brooks' shoulder and pulled the older man closer.

Brooks let him, knowing better than to start an argument that moment. He moved along and even leaned in a little, pretending they were together.

Realizing that made Martin grin. "Don't worry, baby, I've got your back." The glare Brooks gave him made it clear that he shouldn't push it. He heeded that warning - for now. Looking at Leroy, he ordered beer. "Is our mystery guy here?"

Leroy nodded and inclined his head to the left. "He's wearing a long, green coat. Second booth on the left."

"Thanks," Martin whispered. He didn't look straight away, wanting to avoid rousing suspicions. "You fine?" he asked Brooks, searching those blue eyes, which showed discomfort, but that was about it.

"Yes, and stop worrying!" Brooks was about to check out their suspect when a tall, bulky guy walked up to him and blocked his view. The man's arrogant expression spelled trouble. Luckily he knew how to handle his kind, if only Martin let him! The Texan taking charge would land them in trouble, if only Martin realized that!

"Hey, do you share? Cause I'm interested in your daddy."

Brooks was about to deal with the guy coming onto him, when Martin acted first, just as he'd feared. The Texan grabbed the guy and slammed him against the counter. Fuck, he'd underestimated that damn protector complex. "Martin," he said, trying to calm him down. It was important he appeared in charge; hopefully Martin would listen to him.

"No, I don't! And you're not interested. Go for a walk and leave us the fuck alone. If I catch you even looking at him, I'm going to crush your balls. Understood, tough guy?"

Brooks, arching an eyebrow, realized Martin wasn't merely pretending. The Texan had grabbed the man's genitalia and applied enough pressure to make the guy gasp for breath. "Martin, you're overreacting. Let go. You don't know where it's been!"

Brooks' comment made Martin grin. "You're right," he said, "but hell, I don't care. Do you understand?" he asked the man who'd come on to Brooks.

"Get your hands off him!" Another muscular and leather clad guy made his way over to them and raised his fits.

"Great," Brooks remarked, giving Martin the evil eye. "You had to go and complicate matters, didn't you? I could have handled him!"

"I don't care. Let's do this!" Martin chuckled, looking forward to the brawling, but belatedly realized he was putting Brooks' life in danger by acting like that. He could handle himself in a barroom fight, but Brooks?

"Need some help, Riggs?"

The voice was totally unexpected, but Martin would recognize it anywhere and anytime. "Reacher!" While maintaining his crushing hold on Brooks' unwanted courter, he turned and grinned like mad. He had no idea why Reacher was here, but having the former MP back him up was amazing!

Brooks had no idea who the new guy was, but he did know he had to straighten out the situation before it escalated further. "Riggs, let the man go! You're out of line! Let go now," he ordered, putting every ounce of his authority into his voice and prayed Martin would listen.

That particular tone did register with him and he focused on Brooks; the older man's expression told him he'd better listen. Belatedly, he realized he'd let his emotions get the better of him. Brooks had hinted he knew how to deal with these situations and he'd ignored him. He wasn't sure if complying and backing down was the right thing to do, but he trusted Brooks to know what he was doing. "You're very lucky," he told Brooks' worshipper. "He doesn't want you hurt; I have no idea why though. Beat it," he said while releasing the guy and preparing himself for his retaliation. To his utter surprise, the guy immediately stepped away from them.

"Sorry," he muttered, addressing Brooks. "It won't happen again, sir. Message received." He turned around, pulled his buddy with him and disappeared in the back of the bar.

"What happened just now?" Dumbfounded, Martin blinked and then stared at Brooks. "How did you do that?"

"Told you that you had no idea what you were dealing with. Let me take the lead this time, okay? Back down and listen for a change!" Brooks hoped Martin would comply, but he thought the Texan had understood. "So, who is your friend?" He turned his attention to the new arrival called Reacher. The man had no problems fitting it. At six foot five and a whopping two hundred fifty pounds, he drew no attention. A military hair cut, chiseled face and a crooked nose which was probably due to it having been broken many times in the past, told him he might be dealing with someone from Martin's navy days. Studying Reacher's expression, he didn't feel alarmed. The guy seemed in control and might listen to reason, unlike Martin at times.

The grin returned full force. "Brooks, meet Jack Reacher, a very good friend of mine. We worked together on several occasions, and that in spite of the fact that he's merely army!"

Reacher didn't visibly react. Why should he? He was used to Riggs' shenanigans. "Nice meeting you," he said, being polite because the older man demanded his respect for the way he'd just acted. He had the feeling there was more to Riggs' companion than met the eye.

"Why don't we sit down?" Brooks pointed at the booth Reacher had vacated moments earlier. "It's quieter there and less eyes and ears to deal with." Although his message had been received by the general public, he couldn't count on them keeping their distance. Once they started drinking, things would change. Hopefully they'd left the place by then. "Come on, gentlemen," he said, leading the way.

"I like your friend," Reacher told Riggs. Taking charge was a great quality in his book. Riggs' grin told him that his friend approved and he wondered about their story. He planned to find out. He slipped back onto his place and watched Riggs situate himself on his friend's opposite side, making sure he was secure sitting in between them. So whoever the older man was, he meant a lot to Riggs for his friend to be that protective of him. "Why don't you introduce your friend to me?" Reacher suggested after grabbing his coffee. Leroy had quickly warmed up to refilling his mug.

Riggs leaned in closer and whispered into Reacher's ear, as he didn't want the information to spread. "Meet captain Avery, he runs the LAPD's Homicide and Robbery department."

Ah, that explained a lot. "Sir," Reacher said, respectfully.

Brooks wondered about that polite tone, was it a military thing? "What do I call you?"

"Reacher will do, mind if I call you cap?"

Riggs sat back and enjoyed watching them. Having them getting along was great. He could tell Brooks was curious, but that had to wait until they'd left. "So what are you doing here, Reacher?" His friend was here for a reason and that was probably Mack's death, as the officer had been a mutual friend.

"Same reason you're here; Mack." Reacher resumed watching the crowd; which was why he was here in the first place. "There's been a string of disappearances, Mack was the latest victim," he added, "but you already know that."

Martin suddenly connected all the dots. "Did Wilson clue you in?"

"Yeah, he asked me to look into the matter. He suggested you might need back up, which is ridiculous, but still, it can't hurt to have someone look into the case with you." Reacher looked at them. "Your captain showing up and reprimanding Wolfgang over there might finally set some things in motion." It might be the break he'd been hoping for.

"Wolfgang?" Martin couldn't contain his mirth.

"Yeah," Reacher confirmed. "I've been watching most regulars for some nights now and everything was calm. Until now. Something's happening."

Brooks knew Reacher was right. He sensed it too. "But it might not be related to Mack's death," he warned them. This might be a different kind of stir.

"We'll find out." Martin fiddled around with his beer but didn't nip from it. He wasn't going to indulge tonight; not in a place like this. "So what happened just now? Why did the guy back down?" he asked Brooks, as he still felt mystified.

"Because I told him so," Brooks replied and looked Martin in the eye. "There are a lot of unwritten rules you don't know about. That's why you need me to take the lead."

"I will," Martin quickly promised. "So what's our next move?"

"We sit here, watch them, and you're following my orders, Martin."

"Yes, sir," Martin quipped and stopped himself from saluting. Brooks had proven he could handle the crowd, so he was fine with following his lead for now.

/

The moment they stepped outside Brooks drew in a deep breath of refreshing air. Things could have been worse, he reckoned, at least no one had bothered him again. Martin kept giving him strange looks and he wondered what they were about. He'd find out later. "If you need a place to sleep," he offered Reacher, "I've got quite the comfortable couch."

Martin nodded. "It's true. I always fall asleep there." He'd be surprised though if Reacher accepted the invitation.

"Thanks," Reacher said and gave Avery an appreciative nod. "But I'm staying at a nearby motel. How about I swing by the precinct tomorrow? That way we update each other." He appreciated the offer though.

"Sure, we can do that. Let's say about nine?"

"Zero nine hundred hours it is," Reacher confirmed as he marched off into the night. "See you tomorrow, Riggs, cap!"

Brooks watched until the impressive figure disappeared into the dark night. "I can't wait to hear those stories," he told Martin while heading for the truck. "I've got the feeling the two share quite some history!" He got onto the passenger's seat and looked expectantly at the Texan, who got behind the wheel. "So the guy's army? You two got some rivalry going?"

Martin started the engine and turned left, ready to head home. "Yeah, but in a good way. It's more like winding each other up and trying to outdo the other. Reacher's the only army guy who ever won the 1000 Yard Invitational rifle competition, which is a navy thing. I haven't forgiven him for that yet. Thankfully I beat him the year after he won. I think Reacher hasn't forgiven me either."

Seeing Martin grin and sharing history so easily made Brooks happy in turn. "What happened? Did he quit?"

"Nah, he got an offer to get out and he took it. He's got a house somewhere and he's well off. He prefers to roam the country though. Travels by bus, hates driving and lives on coffee and greasy food." Seeing Brooks' curiosity, he figured he knew what this was about. "He was a major," he informed his friend, who looked caught. "He was an MP. Still is Military Police in his heart, which is why he's looking into Mack's murder." Martin sped up, eager to go home. These last two days had been tiring. "Hey, you handled your business in there!" he complimented Brooks.

Brooks eyed him critically. "Something which you didn't expect. Shame on you, Marty."

"I plead guilty. I was worried."

"You need to have faith in me," Brooks told him, but had long forgiven Martin for doubting him. Maybe he'd tell him why he hated Falltime – one day.

/

Todd was restless; no, it was even more than that. He was worried sick. Ever since Brooks had told him they were heading for Falltime he'd been close to panicking. The moment Martin's truck pulled up to the driveway, he sprinted over to the window and checked on them. Both men were getting out of the truck and looked unharmed, which made him sigh in relief. Brooks had reassured him that everything would go well and that he shouldn't worry, but that was easier said than done! "You're back!" he exclaimed after opening the door and pulling Brooks into his arms.

Martin frowned at Todd's unusual reaction, as he didn't know the other man like that. Most of the time, Todd was calm, even in situations others might panic in.

"Hey, I told you everything's fine. I'm okay. I know how to handle those guys. You know that. Calm down for me, honey." Brooks caught Martin's wondering look, but ignored it and concentrated on his life partner instead. He'd suspected something like this might happen and he'd considered not telling Todd where he was headed, but the truth would eventually come out and then, Todd's reaction wouldn't be pretty.

Martin wondered what he was missing. He followed them into the living room, where Brooks told Todd to sit down on the couch. "Can I do anything to help?"

"Make some tea, will you?" Brooks gave Martin a grateful look. "I'll explain," he promised, "but not right now."

Martin nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, giving the couple time to sort themselves out. He suspected he knew why Todd was this panicky, but could wait to find out. The last thing he'd do was pressure either man to tell him. He ended up making three cups of Todd's favorite Redbush tea and carried them into the living room. "Here, hopefully it helps," he said while handing Todd his tea. Looking closely, he distinctly noticed the tremors shaking the older man's hands upon accepting the hot drink. Todd hadn't calmed down yet. Martin sat down some distance away, not wanting to crowd Todd for he felt the other man needed space. Brooks' gaze told him his captain appreciated the fact that he wasn't questioning them.

"Todd, everything's fine. There's no need to worry. Sip your tea and take calming breaths." Brooks guided the tea closer to his lover's lips and watched him sip carefully. "Better?" he asked a few minutes later, when Todd's hand had stopped shaking.

"Better," Todd acknowledged and smiled weakly. Damn, his own reaction had surprised him and it told him he wasn't over that incident yet. He'd thought he was. "I don't want you anywhere near Falltime!" he stated firmly. "I worried."

"I know you did, sweetheart, but I know how to deal with those guys, plus I'm armed." Brooks kept an arm wrapped around his lover's shoulders and pulled him close against him.

"He did handle his business," Martin said, unsure he should get involved, but he wanted to help. "One of the guys came on to him." Oh, maybe telling Todd had been the wrong thing to do as the tremors made a return. So he quickly added, "I slammed the guy against the counter, but that didn't impress him. That changed when Brooks told him to back down and walk away. He did. No one bothered us after that. As I said, Brooks handled them." Todd glared at Brooks, though the reason why escaped Martin. "He did well!" he added, almost desperately. "I worried too, I wouldn't have let anything happen to him, but in the end, it was Brooks saving our asses instead!" That last bit seemed to make a difference as a hesitant smile appeared on Todd's face.

"You told them off and they listened?"

"Of course, darling. I'm captain for a reason," Brooks said and winked at his life partner. He was glad they'd weathered that storm, but was realistic enough to know they'd discuss this again once Todd had truly calmed down.

"That's good," Todd muttered, while sipping from his tea again. "I worried."

Martin wasn't certain what to do, but he could only help if he knew what was going on for sure. He had his suspicions, but should he voice them? They'd helped him deal with so many flashbacks and nightmares and he wanted to be there for Todd in turn.

Looking up, Todd caught Martin's puzzled look and drew in a deep, somewhat shaky breath. He should come clean. They made Martin talk about his crap too. He owed the younger man the truth. "It happened twenty years ago," he started and ignored Brooks' stunned gasp.

"You don't have to do this now," Martin assured Todd, who was still shaken. "I can wait."

"If I don't do this now, I never will," Todd explained as he finished his tea and placed the cup onto the coffee table. Snuggling up to his lover, Todd looked Martin in the eye. "I was finishing up university and I was still rather naïve. I hardly ever went to a bar; I preferred the beach instead. But I got a text, telling me some of my fellow students wanted to have a drink at Falltime and I was invited. I made a mistake and didn't check the place. I went there expecting to meet up with them and ended up surrendered by those bears instead. I didn't really stand a chance against them. They were all over me, trying to get me to go home with them or dragging me into the bathroom. Apparently a member of staff called it in, because he felt sorry for me, and then Brooks showed up. He was still a uni back then, but he got me out and calmed me down. Later, I realized he'd been a patient of mine, as he'd been brought in with a gunshot wound a few weeks before that."

"We ended up dating after that incident," Brooks said, trying to replace Todd's ugly memories with good ones.

"Did anything happen to you? Did they hurt you?" Martin felt the urge to go back there and take the place apart.

"Nah, a bit of groping and crappy remarks, but nothing serious," Todd told Martin and even smiled reassuringly at the younger man, seeing the rising anger in those brown eyes. He didn't want Martin to thrash the place about something that had happened two decades ago!

Martin nodded, but remained pissed off. "That's why you hate Falltime," he said, addressing Brooks too.

"Yes," Brooks confirmed. "But as I said earlier, I know how to handle that crowd. Todd didn't back then, plus he had no idea what he was walking into."

"Oh, trust me, I won't be making such a mistake ever again!" Todd had finally calmed down and rested his head against Brooks' shoulder. "So what did you find out? Did you find any leads?"

"Nothing yet," Brooks replied and soothingly stroked Todd's hair, which was all over the place, since the bun he usually wore it in, had come undone. He removed the hair band and combed the shoulder long hair with his fingers. "But we ran into an old friend of Martin's."

"You did?" Curiosity replaced worry and Todd winked at Martin. "Anyone we should know about?"

Martin chuckled. "Nope, not the way you're insinuating. He was Military Police and we worked together on occasion. He's looking into Mack's murder too, wants to find the killer who did it. It was great seeing him again. Reacher's great back up!"

"Major Reacher," Brooks supplied and pressed a chaste kiss against Todd's temple. "Army."

"What's up with your obsession about military ranks?" Martin really didn't get it.

"It's sexy," Todd supplied and blushed a little.

"Oh crap," Martin muttered, suspecting where this was going. "Spare me your role playing!" He got to his feet and looked Todd over once more. "You sure you're okay?" If not, he'd stay and do his best to support the older man. He didn't want Todd to be in pain, regardless if it was physical or emotional. He'd check on him during the night at any rate; they never locked their door, just in case he had a nightmare and needed to talk to them.

"I'm fine," Todd said and he meant it. Now that Brooks was back, and nothing bad had happened, he was able to put everything back into perspective. "Get some sleep if you can."

Martin nodded and headed for the stairs. Looking back over his shoulder, he found them cuddled up close and talking softly. He'd lay down his life for them. If something bad happened to either of them, he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle that. They'd become his world.

/

Martin sneaked down the corridor, pushed the door slightly ajar and checked on them. Brooks and Todd were peacefully asleep, holding each other close. Reassured that everything was right in their world, Martin closed the door and returned to bed, hoping to get some sleep too.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9

The next morning found the three of them having breakfast. Martin monitored Todd closely, but the other man seemed fine. He wasn't yet convinced though and would keep a close eye on him, just in case.

"Can you pick me up at the station after your shift ends?" Brooks asked Todd, since he wanted to give Martin time and space to spend the evening with his old military buddy. Reacher and Martin should catch up.

"Sure, my shift ends at seven. I'll pick you up and maybe we can go out for dinner?" Todd felt Martin's gaze on him and sighed. "Martin, I'm fine." He looked at the younger man and smiled. "I worried, that's all."

"Okay," Martin replied, but that didn't mean he couldn't look out for Todd. "And Brooks, you're not subtle at all! If you want to go on a date night, just tell me!"

"I figured you'd want to catch up with Reacher," Brooks explained as he finished his coffee. "And yes, love, we'll do dinner." He recalled wanting to take Todd to that little restaurant where Martin and he'd had dinner while the Texan had pretended they were dating. Martin getting shot and removing that arrow himself had only happened four months ago!

"Fine," Martin assured them. He'd reminiscence with Reacher and the two of them could do date night. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't worry about them being safe!

/

Martin was behind his desk, slaving over paperwork when the elevator door opened. Reacher was big and massive and his heavy footsteps echoed throughout the bullpen, making Martin grin. Reacher could sneak up on him, and the MP had done so in the past, but this time, the former major simply walked up to him. Martin pushed back his chair, put his feet up on the desk and studied his friend. That was how he caught Cruz giving Reacher concerned looks. Well, the Mexican might wonder if Reacher presented a danger. Bailey displayed a similar reaction, eying Reacher's progress closely. "Relax," he told them. "Reacher's a friend!" He grinned, got to his feet, and shook Reacher's hand. "So you made it! Let me introduce you!"

Reacher had noticed the detectives' response, which wasn't unusual; he knew his stature often caused concern. He listened closely when Riggs introduced them to him.

"Guys, this is Reacher, a former war time buddy of mine. He used to be Military Police, so he's no stranger to how we get things done. Reacher, meet Bailey, she's our Nealy!"

Bailey arched an eyebrow. "Nealy?" She'd never heard that name before. Reacher surprised her by offering his hand and she shook it.

"Sergeant Nealy," Reacher explained and eyed her closely. "The army runs on sergeants. They're our backbone. Without them, the officers wouldn't get anything done." If Riggs compared her to Nealy, she had to be good at her job and he hugely respected that. "Riggs paid you a huge compliment just now."

Bailey arched an eyebrow and frowned at Riggs. She hadn't known he thought like that about her!

Martin chuckled and continued, "This is Cruz. Started out as a member of the gang unit, but transferred here after we worked a case together. He's a good guy to have your back," Martin continued. Cruz' eyes lit up with pleasure and not so long ago, he'd have wondered about that. But not anymore; Cruz had some hero worship going on which he was trying to break the young man from – unsuccessfully so far.

"That's big praise coming from Riggs," Reacher said and shook Cruz' hand as well. It appeared the Texan had found a place to fit in.

"And who's this guy? Someone I should worry about?" Roger had watched Riggs and listened in. So another buddy had appeared?

"Rog, meet Reacher, former MP. Reacher, this is my partner, Roger Murtaugh, and a good friend." Martin smiled, pleased. It felt good having Reacher in his life, even though it was only temporarily. He knew better than to think Reacher would stay; the man was restless and always on the move.

"Murtaugh," Reacher said, shaking another hand and closely studying the older detective. So Riggs had found a family after all? Good, the Texan needed one.

"Another ex Navy SEAL?" Roger wondered, as he'd only overheard bits and pieces. The guy was huge and he suspected if Reacher timed his punch right, the man could easily knock him out cold.

"No, former Military Police," Reacher informed him and wondered about Murtaugh's puzzled look. He looked to Martin for an explanation.

"He was an army major," Martin informed them, having long realized what was going on.

"Does he outrank you, Riggs?" Bailey was genuinely curious.

Reacher arched an eyebrow. "Well, technically speaking it's complicated."

Martin nodded. "Army and navy ranks differ. What shall we call it? Equals?"

"Probably." Reacher spotted the coffee maker in the corner and inclined his head toward it, letting Riggs know he wanted some.

Martin easily picked up on it. "Hold on, I'll make you some – freshly brewed and the way you like it. You still like it strong?"

"Oh yeah, the stronger the better."

While Martin headed for the coffee maker, Reacher took in the activity in the bullpen and made out Avery's office. "Ah, cap's also in?"

Brooks had noticed Reacher's arrival the moment the former MP had made his way over to Martin's desk and had thought it best to give his team some time to get acquainted with Martin's old friend. Now however, he stepped into the doorway and signaled for them to join him. A minute later, they'd gathered around his desk. Much to his amusement Martin quickly claimed a chair and Murtaugh followed suit, while Reacher stood at attention behind the ex Navy SEAL. He couldn't help it; he liked Reacher, though he'd have a hard time explaining why. "Let's do this, people, let's share and update each other." It might take them a while, but they'd find the killer.

/

Todd was tired when he pulled up into the LAPD parking lot. It had been a tiring day at work. He'd worked a ten hour shift, not that long compared to other days, but very taxing because one victim after another had come in. Out of those ten hours, he'd been performing surgery for nine and he was dead beat. All he wanted was to go home and get some sleep. But, he'd promised Brooks they'd have dinner. He'd hate to disappoint his partner, so he'd get some coffee and pretend he was fine.

After getting out of the car and making sure he'd locked it, he headed for the elevator. He'd picked up Brooks after work a few times before so he knew his way around, but he still disliked the place. Maybe it had something to do with those two cops targeting Brooks not so long ago. He always felt strangely vulnerable, when it should be a safe place instead. He pushed the button and waited for the elevator doors to open. Looking about he found the parking lot was deserted. He made out a moving shadow to the far left, could be a man, could be just a shadow. The ping alerted him the elevator had arrived; he couldn't wait to leave the place.

The elevator doors opened and five men appeared. One of them was in uniform, the others wore plain clothes. Todd deliberately looked the other way, doing his best not to draw anyone's attention. Maybe recalling his incident at Falltime still messed with him, but he didn't feel safe.

"Look at that," one of the guys, a bulky redhead, said.

Todd tried to move past them so he could get into the elevator and close the doors, but they blocked his path.

"Screams faggot to me," a dark-haired man said, moving purposefully to block his way into the elevator.

"What are you doing here, fairy? We don't like your kind!"

Todd looked about, trying to find another escape route, but the black and white and another guy now took up position behind him. "Come on, guys, I don't want any trouble." Todd raised his hands, palms up, pleading with them.

"Well, looks to me you ARE trouble. Obstructing an officer in the line of duty! You're blocking my way! Maybe we should take you in! I'm sure you'll be popular at booking. Lots of guys wanting to make your acquaintance!" the uniformed cop said and grinned provocatively.

"Just let me go, I don't want problems." Todd noticed the redhead staring at his badge, which he still wore. He'd forgotten to remove it after coming off his shift. Maybe it would help if they knew he worked at the ICU as he regularly saved their colleagues' lives.

"I don't care what you want, fag," the redhead stated and grabbed Todd by the throat, spinning him around and slamming him into the wall.

"Watch out for the cameras," the black and white warned his friend.

"This is a blind spot," the black-haired man replied. "Go for it, Dave! Kick his ass!"

With a hand tightly wrapped his throat and struggling for breath, Todd tried to fight off the redhead, but failed. His chest hurt, damn it! This was only the beginning; intimidation. He'd treated a lot of victims who had been in similar situations and knew what came next; merely kicks and punches if he was lucky. If things went south then…

"Why don't you let him go and pick on me instead?"

The voice barely registered with Todd, who found it hard to breathe properly. He'd stopped struggling, trying to preserve his energy.

"What the fuck?" The black in white turned around and glared at the new arrival. "Walk away, this doesn't concern you!"

"Oh, it does," Reacher said, who had just returned from checking on a lead. "He works at a hospital," Reacher mused, studying them and running several scenarios through his mind. "Maybe he patched you up after you got shot during a shift? Ever thought of that? Now let him go!" Reacher moved forward, using his height to intimidate them. He achieved his goal; the redhead released the victim. "Great, now let's get this party started!" If they thought they'd get off easy, they were mistaken.

Todd collapsed onto the floor and drew in breath, rapidly and shallowly, but at least he was no longer at their mercy. His rescuer was a true giant, tall and well-built, but the man didn't stand a chance against five of them! Fighting down his panic, he tried to get hold of his phone, but it had dropped from his pocket and he couldn't find it, damn it.

"Last chance," Reacher announced, cracking his knuckles. Although they were cops, they didn't present a real challenge. He'd deal with them quickly, he estimated under five minutes. He'd break some noses, arms and crack some ribs. He'd pay special attention to the redhead.

Todd tried to make eye contact and warn the man, but then everything happened way too fast. The giant charged, threw some lefts, delivered a head butt and slammed another assailant against the wall. That guy went down like a sack of potatoes and stayed down. With three men still standing tall, Todd tried to get to his feet to help, but his chest hurt and he felt dizzy, so he had to sit down again. If only he could help! He spotted his phone to his left and started crawling toward it. If he reached it he could alert Brooks!

Reacher noticed the victim's movement and realized he was heading for his phone, probably to call for back up. Understandable, but also unnecessary as he had this under control. He grabbed two guys, slammed their skulls together and dropped them to the floor. The black and white went for his nightstick and he acted accordingly, delivering one devastating kick to the man's groin. The lights went out straight away and he sagged into a heap. Only the redhead was still on his feet, but looking about, the man realized he'd lost the fight and was trying to get away. "I don't think so!" Reacher tackled the guy and pinned him to the floor. "If it were up to me, you'd receive no medical care at all. Although, you'll need it; especially you." Punching the guy in the gut made him spit blood. Reacher finished up with another blow to the man's sternum and enjoyed seeing him lose consciousness. "That'll teach you." He got to his feet and turned toward the victim. "Are you okay?"

Todd stared at the guy and blinked; he still had a hard time believing what had happened just now. The attack didn't surprise him; he knew things like that happened each day, but this stranger coming to the rescue and saving his ass? That was completely unexpected. "I will be," he said, once he'd caught his breath. "Thanks," he added, while reaching for his phone and clutching it tightly. The display was broken, but hopefully it still worked. His hands however shook badly and he failed to access any numbers.

"You should file charges against them," Reacher advised as he carefully extracted the phone. Thankfully the victim had managed to unlock it. "What's your name?" he asked, trying to establish the severity of the man's injuries.

"I'm Todd, Todd Doran," he introduced himself and flinched when the black-haired attacker tried to get up.

Reacher wasn't having it and kicked him; he went back down and out. "Who do you want me to call, Doran?" He was going to let Doran decide their next step.

"Call Brooks Avery, or if you can't reach him, Martin Riggs." Todd briefly closed his eyes, trying to assess how badly hurt he was, but he didn't think they'd done any permanent damage. He was mostly in shock.

Reacher carefully monitored his own response. Seeing him react to those names might worry Todd. "I'll call Riggs first, okay?" He knew with certainty that Riggs was in the building. When he'd last seen Avery, the captain had headed for an important meeting.

"Fine with me." Todd's breathing stabilized and he looked at the giant again. "And what's your name?" He wanted to know who to thank for the rescue.

"Name's Reacher," he supplied, once more observing Todd's response and therefore he noticed the stunned look. For someone who'd been brutally attacked, the physician was incredibly alert. Trauma surgeon, he noted, as he read the text on the man's badge. Meant the man was used to high stress situations.

"Martin has a friend named Reacher, are you related?" Todd realized he was missing something, but his brain refused to properly function. The vertigo didn't help either and it might indicate he was concussed. The redhead had violently slammed him against the wall and he couldn't rule out a head injury.

"If by Martin you mean Riggs, yeah. I'm that Reacher." That moment someone answered the phone and he instantly recognized his friend's voice.

"Todd? Let me guess, Brooks forgot to call you! He's running late. Why don't you come up to the office and have some coffee?"

Now that his suspicions were confirmed, Reacher took charge. "Riggs, your friend was attacked in the parking lot. I took care of it," he quickly explained, catching the sharp intake of breath. "You might want to come down. Todd here needs a friendly face around. And alert the EMT's. Someone should check on him. I'll stay with him until you get here."

"What the fuck? I'm on my way! Don't leave him alone! Bailey, get Brooks, I don't care if he's in an important meeting! Just tell him to come to the parking lot at once. Cruz, alert the EMT's, we need them. Rog, are you with me?"

The connection suddenly faded, signaling Riggs' departure. Reacher handed the phone back to Todd, but didn't terminate the call, just in case Riggs wanted to talk to Todd on his way down here. "So you're Avery's partner?" He wasn't surprised. That the captain was gay had been obvious.

"Yeah, I am. I was here to pick him up for dinner. I didn't expect them…" Todd stared at the massacre in front of him. All five of them were bleeding, and he could tell the EMTs would have their hands full; cracked ribs, concussions, broken bones, and that was just what he could see. He had no idea what internal injuries they had suffered and he was sorry to say that he didn't care – not right then and there. Reacher suddenly wrapped his massive hands around neck as if checking for something. "What are you doing?"

"I know some first aid. Just let me check on you. If someone's wrong, I'll notice. I just want to make sure."

Being manhandled like that was odd. Normally he was the one examining the patient. Now he was the patient, which was unsettling for many reasons. "Will I live?" he asked once Reacher finished his check up. Well, maybe he'd spoken too soon as those hands wandered lower and checked his rib cage. He hissed in pain, realizing the redhead had done more damage than he'd thought.

"Cracked rib, maybe even broken. You should have it checked. But yes, you'll live." Reacher got to his feet and made sure their attackers were still out and cold. The elevator doors opened and Riggs ran towards them, closely followed by Bailey and Murtaugh. There was no sign of their captain yet. "He'll be fine," he tried to reassure Riggs, who looked shocked as he knelt next to Todd. "Cracked, possibly broken rib and maybe you should have him checked for concussion, that's all." Minor injuries; Todd would quickly recover – physically at least. Emotionally might be a different matter.

Martin gently took hold of Todd's hand. "Don't move, the paramedics are on their way to check on you. Bailey, call for back up," he said, pointing at the attackers. His expression hardened upon discovering a black and white among them. "Damn, this is the one place you should be safe!" He cradled Todd's hand within his and squeezed gently. When Reacher said it was probably a cracked rib and a concussion he trusted his friend's judgment. Seeing Todd like that, so still and passive, was hard. "I'll take care of you. Brooks is on his way too." He wasn't going to leave Todd's side!

Bailey, who'd called for backup, started slapping on some handcuffs, with Cruz and Murtaugh helping her. Reacher hauled the redhead to his feet and approved of his own handiwork. The guy would be in pain for a long time, which pleased him. "This guy led the assault," he told them. He shoved the man in Bailey's direction, knowing she'd take care of the matter.

The elevator doors opened again and first out were several other detectives from their department, assisting with the arrest. Then the EMTs showed up and Reacher grabbed one of them, pushing him towards Todd. "That's the one you need to worry about." The paramedic nodded and got to work, having recognized the trauma surgeon.

"Hey, buddy," Martin whispered, seeing Todd's expression dull. "Normally you're the one patching me up. Now let us take care of you for a change." He smoothed the long, blond hair away from the tanned face and smiled comfortingly. "Just wait till Brooks gets here. He'll have their hide." Seeing Todd down and hurt terrified him. He didn't want him to hurt!

"Todd!" Brooks' heart hammered away like mad. The only thing he could think about was getting to his partner and making sure he was safe. Finding Martin at Todd's side reassured him a little, but he had to see for himself. Seeing a paramedic checking on his partner, worried him again and he felt like going mad. Todd was the most important person in his life and the mere thought of his lover being in pain caused him to hurt in turn. He barely noticed the five attackers being taken into custody; he'd deal with them later. Todd came first! He knelt at his partner's side and grabbed hold of his left hand, as Martin was already holding Todd's right. "What happened?"

Since the paramedic was trying to do his job, Todd remained silent, letting the EMT check his breathing and other vitals. He'd update Brooks in a moment. But then, he didn't have to.

"They ganged up on him. I straightened them out. Your partner should file charges, Avery. I'll testify." Now that the perps were hauled to their feet and taken into custody, Reacher stood down and watched them being dragged off. Good riddance, as far as he was concerned.

"Thank you," Brooks said, hoping Reacher understood just how grateful he was. "Thanks for being there and helping him. Todd was badly outnumbered. How are you doing? Todd?"

"Brooks, let the EMT do his job, don't complicate matters," Todd reprimanded his lover and even managed a smile.

Brooks relaxed at hearing that. "You'll be fine, I promise you!"

The EMT looked at them, and in the end, addressed the LAPD captain. "I want to admit him, just to make sure and check on his ribs."

Todd groaned. "Just run a CT scan and then release me. I'm fine." He tended to agree with Reacher – cracked rib and a concussion.

"We're going to make sure!" Martin wasn't having any of it and grew flustered, realizing that in the past he'd caused Todd and Brooks to worry because he'd refused medical treatment. "Don't be like me," he pleaded with Todd. "Just roll with it. Please."

Todd actually grinned. "If that makes you happy." Something told him Martin didn't like their roles being reversed, but that was a good thing. Maybe after today, the Texan would stop fighting them whenever he needed help!

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

So, story has been finished and I will be posting the last parts. This will also be my last Lethal Weapon story as inspiration has gone.

Part 10

Todd was happy to be released two hours later. He didn't need his colleagues to tell him to take things easy for the next couple of days.

"What's the verdict?" Brooks wrapped an arm around his partner once Todd appeared in the doorway. The fact that his lover was on his feet and steady was reassuring, but he couldn't stop worrying.

"Cracked rib, grade 2 concussion, just as Martin's friend said. You'll have to check on me through the night."

Martin moved closer as well, unwilling to infringe on their privacy, but also eager to support Todd. "I can't believe it happened at our parking lot!" He'd texted Ronnie and his father in law had promised to personally take care of the matter. Those bigots wouldn't get off easy. "Thankfully Reacher was around!" There was no way to express his gratitude to his friend. He'd always be indebted to the MP.

"I'm sorry, babe, but date night is canceled. Do you mind?" Todd tried some humor in order to settle Brooks' nerves and hoped it worked.

"You're alive and relatively well, which is the only thing that matters." Brooks pressed a kiss onto his lover's brow. "We're heading home ASAP. You had quite the evening!" Exchanging a look with Martin told him that they shared their worries. They both wanted Todd in bed and resting. "Come on, let's do this. Martin, get the truck and start the engine." It was raining and Brooks didn't want Todd exposed to the elements any longer than necessary.

"At least I'm walking out of here instead of being wheeled out," Todd quipped and winked at Martin, who looked awfully pale. "Sorry for scaring you."

"Not your fault." It was too bad the five of them were in custody. He'd have loved to deal out some punishment himself, though he had to admit Reacher had done a great job. Martin made his way over to the truck, drove it up to the entrance and made sure Todd was safely tucked away in between them. "You can rest," he told Todd. "We've got this."

"I know you do," Todd agreed as exhaustion made him rest his head against Brooks' shoulder. Although he was a bit dizzy, he turned his head and looked at Martin, who drove remarkably cautiously. "Your friend packs quite the punch. He took them out in minutes and they didn't get up again."

Martin grinned broadly. "You have no idea! We ended up in fights all the time, and as I said, he's great backup. The best!" His phone rang and he reached for it, while keeping both eyes on the road as he had a precious cargo. "Riggs," he said without checking who was calling.

"Reacher here, checking up on your friend. Bailey hooked me up."

Martin knew his friend wasn't big on phone calls. If possible Reacher avoided them. "He's gonna live. You were right with your diagnoses. We're taking him home so he can rest. Why don't you join us there?"

"Not tonight, Riggs. I'm heading back to Falltime, and no, you're not tagging along. You're needed someplace else. I've got this. I'll let you know if something comes up."

And Reacher ended the call, just like that. And Murtaugh had the nerve to complain about his phone etiquette. For his partner's sake, he hoped Roger didn't have to reach the MP!

/

"Careful now." Brooks hovered close and watched Todd's every step. "Martin, get the door, will you?" Todd had never been injured before and Brooks found it hard to adjust. Dealing with an injured Martin Riggs was challenging, but now that Todd was down, his concern reached new heights.

Martin opened the door, dealt with the alarm and switched on the lights. He supported Todd as well, though the injured man glared at him. Well, at least now Todd knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of someone's concern.

Brooks considered the stairs and then looked at Todd. "I don't want you climbing those."

"Let me," Martin said and intervened before either of them could protest. He slid his arms beneath Todd's knees and gently lifted him, cradling him against his chest. "Lead the way, Brooks!"

Brooks moved quickly upstairs and opened the bedroom door. "Put him on the bed." He made way for Martin and assisted his lover in laying down and getting comfortable.

Martin realized he needed to give them some space. Yeah, he was part of their little family and they'd accepted him, loved him, but this was different. They were a couple. "I'll head for the kitchen and make some tea," Martin said as he headed for the doorway. "Call if you need me."

"Thanks, Martin." Now that the Texan had gone, Brooks fully focused on Todd. "How are you doing? Want me to get you out of your clothes and into some sweats or your pajamas?" Tenderly, he stroked his lover's hair, hoping to soothe.

Todd smiled. "Just get me out of my clothes and into a T-shirt. The rest is too much of a bother."

Brooks carried out Todd's wishes and soon had his lover settled comfortably in bed. "How are you doing? For real?" Now that Martin wasn't around he wanted the truth. Todd might pretend being fine for Martin's sake.

"Stop worrying!" Todd stroked Brooks' facial skin and smiled. "I'm fine. Yes, I've got a grinding headache and my ribs hurt, but I'll live."

Brooks felt relieved. "Anything in particular you want me to do? Anything you need?"

"Why don't you check on Martin and then join me in bed? I'm in a snuggling mood and you should make good use of that!" Making tea was taking Martin a long time and he worried. "Go on, see what's up with him."

Brooks disliked leaving his lover, but complied. After carefully tucking the duvet around his lover's form and making sure Todd was comfortable, he moved downstairs, where he found Martin staring out of the window. Apparently the Texan had never made it to the kitchen in the first place. Walking up to him, Brooks said, "Hey, Todd's gonna be fine. Don't worry." He wrapped an arm around Martin and became aware of the tremors running through the Texan's body. "Hey, talk to me." He should have expected something like this. Martin had let them in, had made them a part of his life and now that Todd was injured, his emotions were all over the place. Brooks turned Martin toward him and cocked his head, searching those brown eyes. "Martin, talk to me," he repeated.

Martin shivered, then shrugged. "It's my fault. If Reacher hadn't shown up, Todd wouldn't –"

Brooks cut him short, determined to set Martin straight. "This is most certainly NOT your fault, Martin. Those five bigots are to blame. Look, something like this can happen anytime and everywhere, even at the precinct. But I do know one thing for certain; this has nothing to do with you. This was a hate crime. Don't do this to yourself. Todd will kick your ass if he hears you blame yourself for the assault. It has NOTHING to do with you," he repeated, emphasizing those words.

Martin gingerly made eye contact. "How can you be sure?"

"How can you even ask that question? Martin, those bigots hate gays. Don't blame yourself for something you had no part in. I know it hurts," he added belatedly. "But you can't save us all the time. Hell, you saved my life twice! It's hard to accept, I get that, but things like this will happen. Let go of the guilt, Martin, and make us some tea instead. Todd will be grumpy if he has to wait much longer." He hadn't thought it possible, but Martin might even be more worried about Todd than he was. It was a sudden revelation. "Come with me," he said and guided Martin into the kitchen. "Sit down and don't do anything!" Considering the state Martin was in, Brooks worried about the younger man accidentally causing accidents, so he made tea instead. Once it was ready, he handed Martin the mug. "Take it to Todd and make sure he behaves. I'll grab a bite to eat and then I'll join you."

Martin, feeling numb, nodded and mechanically headed for their bedroom. In the doorway, he wavered. Todd was in bed, wrapped up in the duvet and seemingly asleep. He didn't want to disturb the man's sleep, so he started to turn around.

For some reason every sound, no matter how small, seemed way more intense and Martin shuffling his feet drew his attention. Todd hadn't been sleeping, merely resting his eyes as he was waiting for Brooks to return. He wasn't surprised to find Martin staring at him instead. "Is that tea?" Todd slowly elbowed himself in a sitting position and noticed Martin quickly marching over to the bed, setting down the tea and assisting him. "You make an excellent nurse," he quipped and grabbed the front of Martin's shirt. "Come, sit with me."

Martin swallowed hard, feeling strangely nervous, but not knowing why. "Brooks made tea." He handed Todd the mug and convinced himself the older man's hand wasn't shaky before letting go.

"My favorite!" Todd sipped carefully before handing the mug back to Martin who placed it onto the nightstand. "What's going on in your head? And don't lie. I'm not in the mood for it." Todd wrapped his fingers around Martin's hand and held it tightly. Wow, looked like Martin had a harder time dealing with this than Brooks!

"I worried… about losing you," Martin whispered, carefully avoiding eye contact. "I don't know what I'd do if you…" Words failed him.

Todd slipped his fingers into Martin's hair and used the hold to turn his head toward him. "I'm here. I'm fine, well, apart from a mild concussion and a cracked rib. I'm not leaving you." Todd cringed, realizing Martin's eyes were swimming. "Ah, come here." Slowly, he pulled Martin toward him and hugged him. "We're in this together, okay? It's the three of us against the rest of the world." He was growing sleep though. "Now lie down, sitting up is making me dizzy."

Martin acted at once and lowered his charge onto the mattress, softly yelping because Todd refused to let go and pulled him along. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? Pull up the duvet, will you? I'm freezing! A little body heat is nice!" Todd smiled tiredly and watched Martin tucking the duvet around them.

"Brooks won't like this," Martin muttered, chuckling in spite of everything. He had no choice but to make himself comfortable as he didn't want to aggravate Todd's injuries.

"Brooks is okay with it, " Brooks said as he happened upon them. "What? We're having a sleepover and no one told me?" He slipped out of his jacket and shoes and snuggled up to Todd, spooning behind him and wrapping his arms around his lover. "We need a bigger bed!"

Martin wasn't sure he should stay, but Todd's grip kept him in place. "Uh," he started, wondering what to do.

"Just stay where you are," Todd said, briefly opening his eyes. "I'll let go eventually, but not yet." Martin needed him – needed to know they were okay. "Now let me sleep, both of you, shut up!"

Brooks gave Martin a wink. "We'd better do as he says."

"Sure," Martin replied, giving in. He'd stay. He was happy where he was.

/

Like most mornings, Martin woke up at dawn. It was five in the morning and Todd had finally released his octopus like grip. Now that his freedom had been returned to him, Martin carefully got to his feet. He tucked the duvet back around them and soundlessly left the room. Damn, he needed coffee to get him through the day! He sneaked into the kitchen and got the coffee maker going. An odd sound coming from outside drew his attention and when he looked out of the window, he stared straight at Reacher, grinning back at him. Martin gestured toward the front door, telling his friend to move his ass and enter the proper way. A minute later, he opened the door and Reacher stepped inside. "You're early," Martin remarked.

Reacher noticed the smell of freshly made coffee and gave his friend a hopeful look. "Got some coffee for me too?"

Martin was very much aware of his friend's addiction and grinned, signaling him to follow him into the kitchen. "Let me guess, you want some grease too! How about bacon and eggs?"

"I gratefully accept!" Reacher sat down at the kitchen table. The moment Riggs placed the coffee in front of him, he took hold of it and sipped. Like him, Riggs like his coffee strong and black! "How's the doc doing?" His friend's expression darkened.

"He's okay, I guess. Still, I can't believe that happened at the precinct! It's the one place where everyone should be safe!"

"You know what it's like," Reacher chided Riggs. "You find bigots everywhere. We dealt with our share in the army and navy too." Sometimes he'd arrested them and sometimes he'd used his fists instead. "You should teach Doran some basic self defense," he suggested and smiled because Riggs just put a plate filled with scrambled egg and bacon in front of him.

"Not sure about that," Todd muttered as he stepped into the kitchen. Their talking had awoken him and he'd decided to find out what was happening. He'd left Brooks to his sleep; his partner had looked worn out!

"What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting!" Martin hurried over to Todd's side and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, ignoring the other man's objections. "At least sit down!"

Todd sighed. "Don't overreact, Martin! It's a cracked rib!" Todd sat down next to Reacher and felt slightly nauseous looking at the greasy food in front of the man.

"And you're concussed!" Martin pointed out, wondering why Brooks had allowed Todd to leave the bed! Come to think of it… "Where's Brooks?"

"Asleep and don't you dare wake him! He needs his sleep!" Todd wagged a finger at Martin. "Make me some tea instead!" Maybe if he kept Martin busy, the younger man stopped fussing! "And I think I can manage some fruit, but not that," he added and pointed at Reacher's meal.

"I'm on it," Martin announced. He'd gotten quite good at brewing Todd's tea and then sliced some mango and apple, offering Todd the hot drink and fruits. "Is that okay?"

"Fine!" Todd waited for the tea to cool and started on the mango first. From the corner of his eye, he studied Reacher. The man seemed at ease and enjoyed his breakfast. "Thanks," he said, after thinking it over. He still had one hell of a headache, making it harder than normal for him to express himself. "I didn't yet thank you properly. Thanks for intervening. You didn't have to. You were outnumbered."

Reacher chuckled. "They didn't present a danger, Doran, don't worry about it. My offer stands though; if you want to learn some self defense I can teach you some very basic stuff which will keep you safe." He emptied his coffee and looked at Riggs, who promptly refilled his mug.

"I'm not sure about that," Todd whispered, his headache worsening. "I suck at hurting people."

"Even when they're about to beat you up?" Reacher studied the surgeon in turn. "I understand you – to some degree," he admitted. "You're a good guy. You patch them up and want to see them back on their feet, but if it's them or you, you might think about defending yourself."

"I know you're right," Todd grudgingly admitted. "But it goes against everything I believe in. I want to help, not inflict pain."

"Just think about it," Reacher advised. "You might change your mind." He'd finished breakfast and cast another hopeful look at the coffee maker.

Martin picked up on it and offered another refill. "Your addiction's gotten worse!"

"Well, it's my only vice as you're well aware!" Reacher leaned back in his chair and continued to study Doran. "You should get more rest or that headache will get worse. Trust me, I've been there."

"Yeah, after one of our many bar room brawls!" Martin quipped before turning his attention to Todd. "Is he right? You're having a headache?" Which wouldn't surprise him.

"Yeah, but don't fuss about it." He sipped from his herbal tea. Todd was about to assure Martin that he was okay when Brooks marched into the kitchen. The look on his partner's face told him that he was in trouble. "Brooks," he said, trying to steer his partner away from lecturing him as he wasn't in the mood for it; not with his head throbbing like that. "Don't. Just don't. Not now. My head's killing me!"

Brooks only needed to take one look at his lover to know Todd was sincere. The way his partner pinched his eyes indicated a headache, so he tabled the argument for later. "You should be in bed," he said instead, while making his way over to him and sitting down next to Todd. "Why did you leave?"

"I heard voices." Todd moved closer and snuggled up to his life partner. After resting his head against Brooks' shoulder, he closed his eyes. Brooks wrapped an arm around him and hugged him close. In times like these, it didn't matter if Brooks was angry with him, his partner always put him first. Oh, Brooks would tear him a new one once he'd recovered, Todd knew that, but right now, his partner was solely focused on his well being. "Maybe you can help me over to the couch? Looks like I'm still tired."

"At least you're being sensible," Brooks mumbled and helped Todd to his feet. "I've got this," he said, addressing Martin. "You entertain Reacher instead."

Martin watched them slowly head for the living room; he worried about Todd, he couldn't help it. Maybe Reacher was right and he should teach Todd to defend himself. Just a few tricks would do. He'd offer later. "So what brings you here this early?"

"Bailey called. Shame she didn't join the army and became MP!" She'd had truly impressed him! "They found the two missing victims; Frank Simmons and Gene Richards. I don't have any details yet. We should head for the station for an update. Maybe we shouldn't tell your captain yet. He'll want to join us, but he's needed here."

"He'll find out eventually and then he'll be mad as hell that we didn't tell him." Martin wasn't sure what to do. "Well, we can try to keep him in the dark. There's nothing he can do at any rate. So you're here because you want a lift? Did you walk here?" He didn't have to ask – not really. Reacher either walked or took the bus.

"I walked," Reacher confirmed. "And a ride downtown sounds fine. So, are you ready to go?"

Martin looked at his clothes, which he'd slept in. "Give me five to change and we're good to go."

"Get moving, Riggs!" In the meantime, he'd finish his coffee and think things over. He wanted to find Mack's killer; the quicker the better!

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Part 11

Brooks stroked Todd's hair and covered him with a quilt. It hadn't taken Todd long to go back to sleep, stretched out on the couch, with his head in his lap, and snoring softly. He looked up when Reacher stepped into the room. The guy was tall, massive, and he'd saved Todd's life. He was eternally indebted to the man.

"Riggs and I are heading for the precinct to follow up on some leads. You should stay here, your partner needs you." Reacher hoped Avery would follow his advice, as he had the feeling the captain would have a hard time concentrating on the case. "Taking one day off from work won't cause the station to go hell. Riggs and I will keep an eye on matters." To his surprise, that merely made Avery roll back his eyes. "I used to run a MP division. I have experience running a station."

"It's not you I worry about," Brooks joked. He considered the suggestion though. He did want to stay at home and look after Todd – at least today. "Just make sure you keep Martin under control. Chaos usually follows him around."

"I resent that!" Martin shook his head. "I've been good lately! I behave these days!"

Which was true; even Brooks had to admit it. "Just be careful out there, Martin. And Reacher, make sure you've got his back. I already have Todd to worry about…"

"You can count on me, cap," Reacher assured him. "Riggs, let's go, we're wasting time!"

Martin cursed softly, as Reacher was already heading out of the door and moving toward his truck. "You're not getting any more coffee today!" He shot Brooks an apologetically look and trailed after the former MP.

"Are you sure letting Martin work this case is a good idea?" Todd partly opened one eye, but the light messed with his head, so he quickly pinched his eyes shut again.

"I've got the feeling Reacher knows how to handle him." Brooks leaned in closer and gently kissed his lover's brow. "Go back to sleep, or do you want to move back to bed?" He'd prefer that.

"Bed's more comfortable," Todd agreed, slowly sitting upright. "I need some help though."

"You've got it." Brooks supported his partner and together, they climbed the stairs. After making sure Todd rested comfortably, Brooks tucked him in. "Get more sleep, love."

"Where are you going?" Todd yawned and pressed deeper into the comfort of the mattress.

"I'll grab a bite to eat and a quick shower. I also need to call Bailey to make sure they don't wreck the place. But I'll be back shortly, I promise."

"It's fine… Just do your job… I'm going to… sleep," he whispered, drifting off.

Brooks pressed another kiss onto his lover's hair and then left their bedroom. He could run his department from home if necessary.

/

"So what do we know about Frank Simmons and Gene Richards?" Martin scanned the report, but preferred to hear it from Bailey instead. She was good in picking up details and summarizing.

Bailey got to her feet and pointed at the screen. "They were found early this morning in a garbage disposal truck, which had been taken in for maintenance four days ago. They only started working on it last night and that's when they found their remains. Scorsese examined Simmons' remains an hour ago and is still working on Richards. He found traces of drugs in Simmons' system; the same drugs we found in the other victims. It was once more the cause of death. Postmortem, the killer removed Simmons' tongue and drove five inch long screws through the man's eardrums."

Roger briefly shivered; that sounded particularly nasty.

Martin sighed. "The MO is the same with most victims. We're definitely dealing with the same killer – we have a serial killer on our hands." Which made things either way more complicated, or it would help them catch a break. "These cases feel personal, like someone is extracting revenge."

Reacher nodded. "It seems personal to me too, he wants to punish them. At least he kills them before he mutilates them!"

"They all vanished after leaving Falltime?" Roger had studied all case files and was looking for similarities. Falltime seemed to be the one thing all victims had in common.

"Yes," Bailey confirmed. "I talked to a bar keeper called Leroy. He recalled Simmons and Richards arguing when they came in. Apparently Simmons accused Richards of cheating on him. Richards proclaimed his innocence, claiming someone was badmouthing him. The two of them made up and left the bar together. That's where the trail goes cold."

"How about the others?" Roger asked. "What happened there? More cheating? Accusations?"

Bailey checked her information. "Withing broke up with his boyfriend at Falltime. The next day he went missing. Green ended his relationship at the bar too, but this time his boyfriend was the cheater. It says here Scott was single, but had picked up a man and they left together. We don't have any information on Darcy's dating habits."

"Is this about punishing cheaters?" Martin stared at the six men whose pictures were on the screen. "We have at least four guys accused of cheating or breaking up at Falltime." A detail like that could break open the case!

"But what was Mack doing there?" That was the question Reacher wanted answered. "Do these victims have any ties to the military?" he asked Bailey, relaying on her knowledge and skills to get him the answers.

She checked the files again. "Dave Darcy might. Give me sec." She accessed the computer and ran several searches. "Darcy was a drill sergeant. He retired six months ago and moved to LA. He was previously stationed in San Diego." She frowned, digging deeper into his background. "I can't find any mention of him being gay. According to these records he never dated men before. He was married at one point, but his wife died of cancer four years ago. At first look, he doesn't fit the profile."

"That might be our connection," Martin remarked, studying Darcy's picture. He'd never seen the man before, but that didn't mean a thing. "Was he army?"

"Yes," Bailey confirmed. "So you think Darcy is the reason your friend got involved?"

"Pretty good chance, yes," Martin acknowledged. "Maybe they knew each other. Can you find out if there's a possible connection? If they ever met? Had contact?"

"I'll do my best." Bailey looked to Cruz, wordlessly asking him for his assistance. Cruz nodded; she didn't need to ask. She already had it.

While the two of them started digging up more information, Roger moved his chair closer to Riggs. "How are Brooks and Todd doing?" He'd noticed his friend not coming in today and worried. Todd had looked bad the other day.

"Brooks is taking care of him. Todd's already moving about, giving him the slip. I doubt Brooks will let him out of his sight today, making sure he rests." Martin uncovered his phone, checking for messages and found he had one; Brooks telling him Todd was asleep and cooperating.

"I'm so sorry that happened," Roger mused aloud. "It was bad enough they went after Avery, but targeting Todd is... He's dedicated to helping people! He's the one who saves their lives when they get shot!" He was angry as hell. It was a good thing Ronnie Delgada personally supervised the case, making sure they wouldn't get off easily.

"I'm going to teach Doran some basic self defense." Reacher's goal was set; it was the one thing he would do before leaving LA. "I'll talk some sense into him."

"Good luck with that." Martin knew Todd well. "He can't hurt anyone…"

"Well, we'll see about that. Now, we have a case to focus on. How about we pay Leroy another visit? His coffee's decent."

Martin shook his head. "One day, caffeine will kill you!"

"One can hope," Reacher deadpanned. "Are you coming along, Murtaugh?"

Roger wasn't sure. Riggs caused mayhem wherever he went and he had the feeling Reacher was the same. Ah, what the hell. "I'll join you." Maybe he could act as the voice of reason!

/

Brooks shifted minutely in bed. Todd was once more asleep next to him and he used the opportunity to catch up on Bailey's emails regarding Mack's case. They'd found some promising leads and as a result, Reacher, Riggs and Murtaugh had headed back to Falltime, which worried him. A look at the clock told him it was okay. It was only one PM and the bar was still closed for business. They'd only run into staff members. He'd call Riggs once they got back to the precinct and get an update. He'd also tell them not to return there while the bar was open. They'd get into trouble and probably thrash the place and beat up the audience, which wouldn't help solving the case. They simply didn't understand the unwritten rules of such a place and needed him there. They didn't know that yet though; or even better, didn't want to acknowledge it.

/

Later that day, Reacher ended up sharing Cruz' desk. The young man intrigued him. He'd met his share of illustrious characters, but Cruz still presented him with a riddle. Cruz was doubtlessly a hard worker, had his eye on Bailey and obviously worshipped Riggs. Cruz was skilled and a team player who didn't mind letting someone else take the spotlight, even if it meant quietly doing his research and handing it over without showing off. Reacher appreciated those character traits. "So what's your take on the case?" he asked, while sipping the precinct's coffee, which was tolerable. Brooks', however, was better and he planned on tagging along with Riggs in the evening so he'd get some more before heading for his motel.

Cruz didn't know what to make of Reacher. He didn't trust easy in general. He'd had a tough childhood and had fallen in with the wrong crowd at a young age, which had landed him in prison. That he'd eventually become a cop surprised even himself, but he had his reasons. It had also gotten him into major problems with his former gang affiliates. Cruz shrugged, unsure what to say.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" Cruz was withholding something, Reacher was sure of it. "I want your opinion! Every detail's important!" He thought Cruz needed some encouragement and he gladly gave it. During his many years as a MP he had trained a number of men who'd seemed shy at first, but who'd turned out very talented, once they'd overcome their wariness.

Cruz shrugged again. "Bailey already told you."

"Come one, tell me again!" Reacher could be extremely tenacious, as Cruz was about to find out.

Cruz wanted the man off his back and spat it out. "I'm not sure we're looking for a male perp. Why drug them? We might be looking for a woman, or a couple. I'm not convinced we're looking for men."

"That thought also crossed my mind," Reacher agreed and noticed Cruz' stunned look. The Mexican had expected to be brushed off. "What kind of woman? Why is she doing this?" he challenged the young detective.

"Maybe her man left her because he found out he was gay or finally came out of the closet? He might have hooked up with someone at Falltime and she followed him there. She felt betrayed and wanted revenge?" Cruz had given the idea some thought, but he wasn't sure it made sense.

"In that case, we need to look at the first victim in more detail," Bailey said after listening in. Cruz often came up with original ideas that helped them solve a case, but the Mexican was often too shy share them.

"That was Sam Withing." Martin had already looked it up. "Found at a garbage disposal site with no noticeable mutilations. The drug cocktail killed him. Which supports your theory, Cruz. A woman could pull this off on her own, especially if she surprised her husband and he didn't know what was going on. The mutilations started with victim number two."

Cruz had a hard time believing they so readily accepted his theory. "Withing was married for two years. They were in the middle of getting a divorce. His wife Michelle was fighting it." He'd already done some research and handed Bailey the file, unaware of Riggs raising his hand to grab it. He was too used to running everything by Bailey!

"Bring her in," Roger said, who had also listened in. "Bailey and I will question her."

"Fine with me," Bailey remarked as she got to her feet. "What will you guys be doing?"

"We're gonna date!" Martin quipped. "And cheat on each other. Who wants to be the cheater tonight? And who the wronged party?"

Bailey chuckled before leaving them to their little games. She could do without their mischief.

"We might need Avery," Reacher suggested. "He knows how things work at Falltime. If we go in, unawares, we might end up making rookie mistakes and we can't afford those, not if we want to close this case without complications."

"He's at home with Todd," Martin pointed out to them. "I doubt he's willing to leave Todd alone. We'd need a baby sitter." He looked at his partner. "Rog, you'd be perfect for the job! You're a mother hen and have ample experience taking care of troubling patients like me. Plus, Brooks trusts you."

Roger didn't like sitting this one out. He wanted in on the action instead, but Riggs was right. He knew Todd, and would be out of place at Falltime. He couldn't contribute to the case, but Reacher, Riggs and Avery could. "All right, I'll take one for the team and do it, but you'll need back up if things go south!"

"We've got Cruz!" Martin grinned at their newest addition. "You'll be the man in the van." Or car, but he wasn't picky. "You'll keep an eye on us and possible perps! Just make sure you don't lose track of us!"

"I can do that," Cruz eagerly accepted. "What's your game plan?"

"Brooks and I will pretend being a couple. Maybe I cheated on him with Reacher and Brooks found out. We'll stage a nice argument at Falltime and we'll leave separately, allowing our perp to move in." Yes, Martin liked that!

"Or perps," Cruz corrected shyly. Seeing their curious looks, he explained, "The first victim wasn't mutilated, but the second one was. What if our original killer got a partner in crime? Maybe another woman or a male without any physical strength?"

Again, Martin had to admit Cruz' idea could work. "Good thinking! We should keep that in mind!" He smiled at the Mexican; it was good to have Cruz on the team!

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Part 12

"What?" Brooks had a hard time following Martin, who was calling him to update him on Cruz' theory. "And you're rolling with that?" It was five PM and Todd was resting in the living room, watching some television since his headache had gone. His partner was doing better and Brooks managed to focus on their case again. "And you want me to be part of that scene?" Although Todd was fine at the moment, he refused to leave his lover unsupervised.

"Rog's on his way over and he'll keep an eye on Todd. Brooks, we might solve this case!" And he wanted Mack's murderer brought to justice!

"I get that." Brooks carefully considered his decision. Roger and Todd got along just fine, and his friend knew what to look out for. He was okay with leaving Todd in Roger's care, but he didn't like the rest of their plan. "You do realize that arguing in Falltime will draw a lot of attention? Also from those guys not involved in the murders? We'd be walking a thin line."

"We can handle that. We'll watch each other's back and Cruz will keep an eye on us. You can carry a wire if that makes you more comfortable." He hated wires, and would even consent to wearing one himself if it meant Brooks giving his okay. "What's the verdict?"

Brooks knew they could catch the killer this way; but that didn't mean he approved. "Fine, we'll give this plan of yours a shot. I'll join you at the precinct and we'll discuss the details." But first he was going to wait for Roger to get here so he could instruct his former partner. Todd couldn't know where he was headed. His lover would panic upon finding out he was returning to Falltime. He'd tell Roger to stay quiet about it. Hopefully his friend wouldn't let anything slip!

/

"Brooks, it's fine. I don't mind. If you can solve the murders, go ahead and do it! You don't have to stay at home on my account!" Todd could tell his life partner felt guilty for heading back to work. He honestly didn't mind though; he understood and he did feel better after having slept away the day. His head was behaving, his headache gone and his cracked rib only caused minor discomfort. "And Roger's here, don't worry!" he winked at both of them.

"I'll play nurse," Roger quipped, enjoying the homely scene. He didn't see his former partner like that very often.

Brooks briefly wrung his hands, trying to deal with his guilty conscience at abandoning his life partner. "I'll be back as quickly as possible. I want to be at your side now that you're not well."

Todd shook his head, feeling bemused. "Honey, I get it, but seriously, I'm fine. Go do your thing and catch yourself a killer!"

Brooks nodded, but he still didn't like it. He'd make it up to Todd once this was over.

/

Brooks walked into the bullpen, signaling his team to join him in his office. If they were going to do this, they needed a solid plan, or else he'd veto the idea.

Martin arched an eyebrow catching Brooks' informal attire. Clad in simple black slacks, a grey dress shirt and a sporty brown jacket Brooks' outfit didn't fit in with the setting. He couldn't recall Brooks ever dressing down at work. "Let's do this," he told Reacher, who got to his feet as well.

Bailey, Cruz, Reacher and Martin gathered in his office. Brooks sat down and read up on Bailey's latest findings. Martin slid onto his favorite chair, while the rest remained on their feet. "So, let me hear about this insane plan of yours!" He placed the file onto his desk, leaned back in his chair and watched them closely. They looked confident and eager for action.

"The perp, or perps," Martin started, looking at Cruz, "are targeting men who either cheated on their lovers or ended a relationship. We don't know why they mutilate them afterwards, but since it didn't start until victim number two, we think a second perp joined our original killer. Once they got a taste of it, they grew bolder. It also explains why they're confident enough to grab two victims at once."

Brooks had to admit that made sense. "So what's your plan?" He disliked heading back to Falltime, even for catching a killer, but he'd do his job. He wouldn't let a killer get off easy, merely because he had bad memories of the place.

After Riggs nodded at him, Reacher took over and explained. "The audience knows about the three of us. That evening Riggs and you turned up, you acted as a couple, and you were both protective of each other. I think they bought that. Meeting up with me, surprised you," he said, addressing the captain. "We can work with that. I suggest we pretend Riggs cheated on you and you found out, blaming the two of us for going behind your back. I'll pretend feeling guilty and will leave the place first. I don't think our perp will come after me. If Cruz is right and we're dealing with a woman and maybe a disabled man, they'll realize I'm out of their league. Riggs can spend some time trying to charm you and offering to make up for his mistake. You'll deny him, and Riggs will leave, making sure everyone knows he's pissed off because you didn't forgive him. You should stay a little longer, maybe someone will hit on you or offer to console you. That's the person we need to pay attention you. I suggest you wear a wire, as I have the feeling they'll probably target you. Are you okay with that?"

His own plan would have ended up rather similar to that, Brooks mused. It was solid and might work. "Cruz is our back up?"

Reacher nodded. "I'll stay close and Cruz will listen in. We'll be in touch the entire time."

Brooks thought it over and realized he couldn't deny them. The plan would work and they could catch their killers. "Fine," he said, approving of their plan. "But we need to be careful. Falltime's audience might get involved and mess up the plan. Let me handle anyone trying to get involved!"

"Sure." Martin didn't mind, recalling the way Brooks had handled himself that evening. Brooks knew how to deal with them. "So, how's Todd doing?" He belatedly realized he hadn't asked about the injured man yet.

"Fine, probably harassing Roger." Brooks smiled reassuringly at Martin. He couldn't wait for this to be over and to return to Todd's side. If everything worked out, he wouldn't tell his lover about their adventure at Falltime at all. He didn't want to needlessly worry Todd.

/

"Are you ready? Wire's working?" To his surprise, Martin was nervous. Not for his own safety; he could take care of himself, but for Brooks. When they'd come up with their plain, he hadn't fully realized Brooks would be in danger, but it was too late to reconsider now. They needed Brooks if they wanted to succeed!

"Wire's working," Brooks said, trying to calm Martin down. The Texan probably didn't know it himself, but he was on edge and Brooks understood why. By now, he knew Martin better than the man knew himself. "I'll be fine!"

"I can hear you guys loud and clear," Cruz commented, while listening in. He didn't like Avery heading into danger himself, but the older man was a professional. He'd been on active duty for two decades and Avery knew what he was getting himself into.

"Me too," Reacher remarked, easily picking up on Riggs' worried tone. "We have each others' backs, Riggs." Telling the SEAL to relax wouldn't work, so he didn't even bother. "Get moving." He was eager to solve this case and put it behind him.

"Darling, let's do this!" Martin smiled at Brooks, giving him an adoring look. "Don't be too mad at me."

"Oh, just let me surprise you!" Martin didn't know he could throw a tantrum if he wanted to! He frowned when the Texan wrapped an arm around his waist, but then went with it. They had to appear in sync at first. "Let's do this, people!"

/

The bar was crowded upon their arrival. Martin scanned the place and quickly realized Leroy was working the bar and he even spotted Wolfgang, the guy who'd come onto Brooks that evening, in the crowd. "Are you ready, honey?"

Brooks glared at him. "What's up with the nicknames?"

"Just trying to ease into my part, love," Martin chuckled and pressed a kiss onto Brooks' hair. The move surprised the older man, he could tell since Brooks grew slightly flustered. "You're adorable, baby." Martin signaled for Leroy to move closer. The barkeeper complied, frowning, and Martin quickly clued him in, telling the other man to play along. Leroy nodded and got them their drinks.

"Love? That's where I draw the line!" They'd reached the counter and while Martin ordered drinks, he took in their audience. He'd felt eyes on them the moment they stepped into the bar.

"Don't be like that, babe!" Martin turned toward Brooks and grinned. "Are you ready?"

Oh, he was more than ready. "You call me that now, but you don't mean it! You cheated on me! You never expected me to run into him, did you? You made a mistake taking me here!"

Martin cringed at Brooks' venomous tone. Wow, he hadn't thought Brooks capable of sounding that pissed off. It meant his captain had always gone easy on him at the precinct. "Don't be like that! It was just the one time!" From the corner of his eye, he caught Reacher making his grand appearance, drawing several looks.

"One time? You've got to be kidding me! How stupid do you think I am? This has been going on for weeks, maybe even months! You shouldn't have paid for those hotel rooms with your credit card!" Brooks monitored the crowd as well. Most kept their distance, but one or two of them moved closer.

"Fine," Martin spat, playing along and adding some dramatic gestures. "I love him! He's the one for me! You're possessive! I'm done with you! You never give me any space!"

Brooks had to admit Martin was a good actor. He'd believe him if he hadn't been in on it. That moment Reacher appeared at Martin's side and wrapped an arm around the Texan. "Hope you two rot in hell! Don't bother me ever again!" He picked up his drink and headed for a booth, where he sat down and glared at anyone trying to approach him. He needed Martin and Reacher to vacate the premises first. Their murderer wouldn't approach him while those two were still about.

"He's good," Reacher whispered into Riggs' ear, trying to make it look like he whispered an endearment instead. "Now get angry with me."

Martin turned around, shook off Reacher's arm and glared at the former MP. "You had to show up, didn't you? I didn't want him to find out like that. Just get out!" He tried to look repentant and gave Brooks some pleading looks, which the older man ignored. Brooks stared at his scotch instead.

"You need to make up your mind," Reacher stated, taking a step away. "Call me when you know what you want. Don't play me like you played him!" he added and pointed at Brooks. "See you – or not." He turned around and headed for the doorway, carefully observing the crowd and any stares directed at him. That was why he noticed Brooks was the center of attention. Reacher stepped out into the open and gave their killer ample time to make his move, if he or she wanted to, but nothing happened. Apparently, he'd been right with his assessment earlier. He was too big, too bulky, too much of a threat, so he headed for Cruz' car instead and slid onto the passenger's seat. "How are you doing, cap?"

"Attracting way too many looks to feel comfortable. I'm keeping them at a distance till Martin leaves the place."

"I agree," Reacher said. "We need you alone. While Riggs is in there, our perp will keep his distance!"

/

Brooks pretended to ignore Martin when the younger man slid into the booth and sat next to him. He kept his eyes on the crowd instead.

"Come on, honey, I made a mistake! I don't know what I was thinking! But I felt cornered and wanted out. I might have made a mistake though. Can you forgive me? I want you back." Martin used his puppy dog look, but Brooks continued to ignore him.

"The door's over there," Brooks stated eventually. "Don't call me. We're over. Get moving." He sipped from his scotch and inclined his head toward the doorway.

Martin managed to repress a chuckle. Brooks was a natural. "Are you sure? Please give me another chance! I didn't realize it until now, but I want you, not him. It's true what they say, you don't know what you have until it's gone!"

"Bye, Marty." Brooks emptied his glass and slammed it onto the table, making it very clear Martin should leave now.

Martin got the message and got to his feet. "You're making a mistake, sweetheart." Then he turned around and headed for the doorway, hoping Brooks knew how to handle the crowd.

Brooks wasn't bothered. Glares kept possible suitors at a distance for now. He'd ease up on them eventually, but not yet.

/

Martin stepped into the fresh air and was about to head for Cruz' car when he was knocked out cold. He never got any warning. All of a sudden something heavy impacted against his head, sending him straight into unconsciousness.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Part 13

Reacher wasn't worried when Riggs didn't join them. The SEAL probably wanted to stay in close in case Brooks ended up in trouble. "What's going on? Anyone making a pass at you yet?"

Brooks looked about. "Several want to, but they're keeping their distance for now. I don't think our perp is part of the regular crowd." He yawned, growing tired. Sitting with Todd was taking its toll, he mused.

"Hello, want some company? I brought scotch, as you seem to prefer that."

Brooks slowly turned his head, taking his time to prepare a response. The man sitting down next to him was middle aged; he'd put him at forty. Skinny, maybe even too skinny. He had brown, shoulder long hair and wore a leather jacket which was way too big for him. The man's green eyes reminded him of those of a reptilian. A shiver ran down his spine, his instincts kicking in and warning him their perp might have made his move. "Thanks, but I'd better not start drinking. I don't want him to win!" Brooks kept a close eye on the scotch that the stranger poured into his glass. He wasn't drinking any of that, especially considering the fact all victims had been drugged. Another yawn crept up on him, driving home how tired he was, which was odd.

"I noticed your boyfriend first dumping you and then trying to get back together again. You sure you don't want to give him another chance? He's hot."

"Once a cheater, always a cheater," Brooks stated, but not as firmly as he should. What was going on? Why were his eyes closing? He couldn't be that tired!

"Maybe, but perhaps your boyfriend feels guilty. Everyone deserves a second chance, don't they?"

Brooks found it increasingly difficult to stay awake. "I don't thinkkk… ssso.." he said, hearing himself slur and that fact should alert him, but he couldn't be bothered. He was tired, so fucking tired, and his eyes closed. His upper body started to slip toward the table, but then he ended up propped up against the stranger who tightly locked an arm around his shoulders. His last conscious thought was that he'd been dumb enough to get himself drugged without noticing it.

/

"Captain, what's happening?" Reacher, growing concerned, tried to re-establish contact to find out what was happening. "Avery? Answer me!" Obviously sharing his concern, Cruz looked at him. "We lost contact for now. We need to find Riggs and move in!" Cruz agreed. They left the car and headed for the bar. Reacher scanned the place, realizing they had another problem. Riggs would have joined them by now, but the SEAL was nowhere to be seen. "Don't tell me they took them both!"

Cruz had reached the same conclusion and was angry with himself for not noticing. "We bugged the captain. He doesn't know about it though. Bailey can track him down."

"Make the call," Reacher instructed. "We need to get them both back!" He couldn't believe he'd made such a rookie mistake!

/

Martin woke up to a dull throbbing in the back of his head, right where his attacker had clubbed him. Fuck, he'd made it way too easy for the perp to get a hold of him! He opened his eyes and found himself in a darkened room. Not utterly dark, but the windows had been nailed shut with boards. Tiny slivers of electric light still managed to get through, casting shadows. The next thing he became aware of was that his movement had been restricted. Looking down, he found that they had put him a straight jacket. Inconvenient for sure, but no real hurdle. He could easily free himself, especially since his feet and legs hadn't been restrained. The perp heavily relied on the straight jacket to restrain him, which was a big mistake.

A soft, pain filled groan coming from his right alerted him that he wasn't alone. He searched his surroundings, finding he was in some sort of abandoned building. The walls had been stripped, the carpet removed and it stank of urine and feces. Not a pleasant place at all. Another groan directed his attention to his companion – probably another victim. "Hey, where are you?" He didn't get a verbal reply, but the man moaned again. It sounded painful and distressed. It urged him to get out of the straight jacket and to take control of the situation, but then he made out a shadow to his right and… "Brooks?" Fuck, why was Brooks in here with him?

He crawled toward his friend and looked him over. Their kidnappers had removed his jacket and shoes, but hadn't restrained Brooks in any way. No straight jacket, no handcuffs, but the look in those blue eyes told Martin something was very wrong. Brooks' normally impeccable hair was a mess and his face bruised. Brooks appeared alert, and even opened his mouth to speak, but nothing happened. His eyes closed again and his lips failed to produce words. The only sound that escaped Brooks was a troubled sigh. "Damn, they drugged you!" Brooks looked bad; he was ghastly pale, his breathing was much too slow and a layer of sweat covered the older man's face.

Brooks found it hard, no impossible, to open his eyes again. He was aware of what was happening, his mind was awake and alert, but his body refused to cooperate. The paralysis scared the hell out of him, causing him to panic. His heart wanted to speed up, but it slowed down instead and he grew even drowsier.

"I've got you," Martin whispered in an effort to reassure his captain. "I'm getting you into safety. I just need to get rid of this straight jacket first!" Martin knew he had to get Brooks some medical treatment. Especially since all victims had died because of the drugs the perp had administered. Brooks looked ready to pass out, or even worse, go into cardiac arrest!

In the end, Brooks managed to open his eyes partly, but enough to realize Martin was wearing a straight jacket indeed. There was no way the Texan would get out of it. Straight jackets were devised in such a way that the patient couldn't get out! His eyes widened slightly upon seeing Martin get to his feet, and then slam himself into a wall. What the hell? Why was he doing that? Was he hallucinating or was this really happening? If it was, Martin had better preserve his energy for when the perp showed up!

"Don't worry," Martin muttered, while working his dislocated shoulder in such a way that the straight jacket loosened enough for him to free one arm. "I'll pop it back in later."

Since Brooks was confined to watching, he simply stared at the younger man with a strange mix of worry and surprise. What had Martin just said? He'd dislocated his shoulder? That had happened to him once and it had hurt like a bitch! And Martin had done so on purpose? Too bad he couldn't give the Texan a piece of his mind. His eyelids grew heavy again and he closed his eyes, resting them a moment.

"Captain, can you hear me? Avery, tell me what's happening!"

Reacher's voice vaguely registered with Brooks, but forming a reply was impossible. This terrible paralysis had him tightly in its grip. He hated being unable to reassure them. But maybe Martin could make contact, once the Texan had freed himself? He shivered violently, feeling cold and hot at the same time.

"Cap, we worry!" It was Cruz' voice this time, Brooks noticed absentmindedly. "We did some research on Michelle's Whiting, but she disappeared, and we haven't been able to track her down. She's a real estate agent and owns several abandoned buildings. Bailey figures they're keeping you at one of those places, but finding it takes time. I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, hold on! We'll find you!"

Hearing they were searching for them helped. Brooks managed to shift his head a little so he could see what Martin was up to. The SEAL had managed to free himself of the straight jacket, and a sickening sound alerted Brooks that Martin had managed to pop his shoulder back in, using the wall as leverage. How could anyone do that to himself?

Martin wasted no time and headed for his friend and mentor. "Brooks, can you hear me? Blink if you can!" Kneeling next to him, Martin gathered the older man's hands in his, instantly registering how clammy and cold they were.

Blinking took a ridiculous amount of energy, but in the end Brooks managed, and he noticed Martin's relieved expression. He wanted to tell Martin to check the wire, but his voice continued to fail him. Whatever they'd drugged him with it, it rendered him completely helpless. He hated it, and even more so, worried him, as he felt himself slipping away further.

Martin pulled Brooks against him and checked for injuries, but found none, except for extensive bruising on the older man's face and neck. "You're gonna be fine," he soothed Brooks, hoping he was right. Brooks' current state worried him, but he wasn't going to admit that. "Being drugged is scary, I know that, but the effects will wear off. Just give it time." He checked for the wire and nearly whooped upon finding it. "Reacher, can you hear me?" His first priority was getting Brooks to a hospital!

"Riggs!"

It wasn't Reacher's voice though, it was Cruz. "Cruz, it's good to hear you! Listen, I don't know how much time I've got. We're are in an abandoned building, made of red bricks, nailed shut windows, but there's electric light coming through, so the plot might not be completely deserted." He listened closely. "I hear traffic, trucks mostly and a plane just crossed over our heads. The place is damp, so it might be close to water. That's all I've got!"

"That's plenty," came Bailey's voice from over the wire. "We're narrowing down our search. Is the captain with you?"

Martin distinctly noticed her worried tone. "Yes, Brooks is here with me. I've got him. We're safe for the moment, but he desperately needs medical assistance. They drugged him and I worry about him. He's not doing well." That was quite an understatement!

"Riggs, I've got your location and we're heading out now. We should get there in fifteen. Make sure you stay alive that long!"

"We'll try, Bailey!" Martin concentrated on Brooks again, who remained motionless. He pulled Brooks tighter against him, offering him body heat, now that the older man's body temperature continued to drop. "They are on their way," he told the drugged man. "Everything will be fine! You need to fight, Brooks. Don't give in!" He wouldn't survive losing Brooks, not after having bonded with him! "You'll be fine, you'll see," he said, mostly for his own sake.

"I wouldn't count on it."

Martin growled a warning and looked in the direction the voice had come from. It was a woman's voice, so Cruz had been right about their perp being female. When she stepped forward he got a better look at her. She was surprisingly tall and muscular. Definitely someone who spent a lot of time at the gym and who could overpower an unsuspecting man. "Let me guess, you're Michelle!" he quipped, trying to distract her, as she was eagerly eyeing Brooks. That was when he realized that this was about Brooks, not about him! Brooks was the main target!

"Too bad you found out. We'd just gotten started." Michelle beckoned her side kick to join her.

Brooks recognized him at once. It was the emaciated guy who had offered him a drink at Falltime's, a drink, which he hadn't touched, so how had the guy drugged him? He'd been so careful!

"I hate guys like you," Michelle spat at Brooks, her voice dripping venom. "And that's why you're going to die. Slowly and painfully. I measured those drugs very carefully. You still have half an hour left, maybe even an hour, if I'm lucky and during all that time, you'll suffer. Can you feel your heart slowing down? Your cold heart?"

Brooks would have cringed, had he been able to. He was under the impression Martin was merely collateral damage. He'd been their target from the start, not Riggs.

Michelle aimed a Glock at them and stepped closer, addressing their drugged victim again. How she loved that look of despair in his eyes! "You wrecked the relationship, didn't you? Causing your boyfriend here to cheat on you! He even begged you to forgive him and what do you do? You tell him to get the hell out. You're gonna pay for that. You didn't listen, so your ears are useless and have to go. You lashed out at him, so we'll take your tongue too and maybe even those pretty hands. You never get them dirty, do you? Probably hiding behind a desk the entire day instead of doing honest labor!"

Martin let her rage, knowing his team mates were on their way. As long as she kept her distance and didn't approach Brooks, he could be patient. The last thing he wanted was to provoke her into shooting Brooks! "You're wrong. I deserved it all. Brooks is way too forgiving. He should have kicked my ass months ago!" So he'd been right about them shooting Brooks up with a similar cocktail of drugs. Damn it, he needed to get him to the ER! She said Brooks had maybe half an hour left, but he reckoned less. He'd slipped his fingers around Brooks' wrist to measure his heart rate; it was erratic and much too slow. Brooks needed medical assistance right now!

"Don't stick up for him! You didn't do anything wrong," the guy hissed, anger fuelling the volume of his high pitched voice. "You're both gonna die, but he's going to suffer first," he threatened, pointing at Brooks. "We'll allow you to watch him die, and pay for his mistakes. You'll get the satisfaction of watching him die! He'll die pleading for forgiveness with his last breath!" In the end, he was screaming furiously, gesturing wildly and getting overly excited.

"Don't you dare touch him! I'll kill you," Martin said in a clipped and controlled voice. "Keep your distance if you want to live." He still had his knife tucked away in his boot and he now reached for it. He had to keep Brooks alive until the team got here!

Brooks watched it happen, but was unable to interfere. Keeping his eyes open an focusing on the scene in front of him took all of his concentration. Bailey was talking to him, but he didn't register her words. He could only focus on one thing, the perp or Bailey, and at the moment the perp was more important.

"I'd hate to make this quick." Michelle looked conflicted. "I want him to suffer!" She turned toward her accomplice. "I might have to kill the blond first. He's trouble!"

Suddenly everything happened at once. Several doors were kicked in, the shutters were torn down and cops entered the premises. Brooks heard the commotion and tried to make sense of it, but he'd used up his energy reserves. The drugs pulled him under and he had no choice but to give in, closing his eyes and sagging against Martin.

Martin immediately tightened his grip and wrapped himself protectively around Brooks. Relieved, he noticed Reacher moving in first. The MP shot Michelle and she dropped her weapon onto the cement floor with a loud bang. Cruz appeared next and he went after Michelle's accomplice. The perp had a limp and failed to get away. Cruz was upon him and quickly slapped on some cuffs. Bailey headed towards them and then lowered herself onto his heels, giving Brooks concerned looks.

"Riggs, are you fine?" She thought he was, but Avery was a different matter; her captain looked pale and exhausted. The fact that he was unconscious and struggled for breath worried her even more.

"I'm fine, but Brooks needs help. Get some EMTs in here. She drugged him. He was conscious till a moment ago." He maintained his hold; offering much needed support and body warmth.

Bailey nodded and went in search of the paramedics, while Cruz kept a close eye on the two perps. Reacher stalked towards the two men and knelt in front of them. "We got them," he told Riggs. "We even got everything on tape, since Avery's wire was still working. They won't get off easy."

"She's mad," Martin hissed, recalling the nonsense she'd told them. Feeling extremely protective of Brooks, he pulled the unconscious man even closer. "What's taking the EMTs that long?"

Reacher was about to reassure Riggs when two paramedics appeared and took charge. "Riggs, hand him over to them. Let them do their work," he chided gently when Riggs tried to maintain his hold.

Martin sighed, deeply troubled, but then handed Brooks over to them. They set to work at once and he eyed them closely. He wasn't letting Brooks out of his sight!

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Part 14

"You should call Todd and tell him what happened." Reacher didn't agree with Riggs' decision to keep Todd in the dark. "Doran doesn't strike me as someone who'll overreact." As a trauma surgeon he was used to dealing with stress and the man struck him as very capable.

"Maybe not in general, but when it comes down to Brooks?" Martin didn't quite agree; those two loved each other and were utterly dedicated to one another. "Todd's still recovering himself and there's nothing he can do! That will drive him insane." The two of them paced the waiting area while the medical staff worked on Brooks. He did feel bad about keeping Todd in the dark, but he believed it was the right thing to do. Todd would find out when they went home!

"It's your call," Reacher confirmed; truth be told, he understood Riggs' motives, he just didn't quite agree with them.

The door unexpectedly opened and Brooks appeared, still unsteady though and in need of support. The doctor walking next to him was quick to provide it.

"Brooks!" Martin wasted no time and headed for the older man at once. He wrapped an arm around Brooks' waist and carried most of the man's weight, which wasn't much to begin with. "It's good to see you back on your feet!" No matter how wobbly! Brooks still looked bad though. His skin was sickly white, the eyes big and with dark circles beneath them. His normally well kept hair was sweaty and stuck to his forehead. He was shaky as hell and Martin instinctively tightened his hold on him. "Shouldn't you be in a wheelchair?" Brooks however merely glared at him.

"He'll be fine in a couple of hours. We flushed most of the drugs from his system, but he needs to rest and to sleep off the lingering effects," the doctor informed them. He'd recognized Todd's life partner and didn't dismiss Brooks easily. Had it been up to him, he'd admitted the LAPD captain, but Avery had vetoed the idea, telling him he was heading home instead. "Please make sure he gets home in one piece and then put him to bed. Todd will have my hide if someone happens to his partner."

Brooks sighed; there was no way he could keep this from Todd. His lover would find out one way or another. Someone at the hospital would slip up, so he had little choice but to come clean when he got home. "Thanks for taking care of me," he thanked the doctor and then addressed Martin, "Please tell me you didn't tell Todd yet!" He hoped not. The fact that Todd hadn't called or texted him yet, might indicate Martin had been sensible for a change!

"I haven't contacted him yet. Reacher thinks I should have, but I don't agree." Martin ignored Reacher's disgruntled groan.

"Good." Brooks felt relieved and held on to Martin as he swayed again. "Stupid drugs mess with my balance!" Thankfully he was able to talk and move again. Being paralyzed had sucked!

"You'll get better," Reacher comforted the LAPD captain. "Want me to tag along and make sure you get home safely? I'll then head to my hotel. I need to inform Wilson that we solved the case and arrested the perps." Wilson would be pleased.

"Fine with me," Brooks replied, as he focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Raising his head a little, he grinned at Martin. "At least I'm not in a wheelchair."

Martin growled warningly. "Don't you dare!" Realizing Brooks was up to playing dirty reassured him that the older man was recovering. "Just shut up and let me do this!"

Judging it in his best interest to comply for now, Brooks did as he was told and let Martin guide him to his truck.

/

"Call Roger, tell him we're about to arrive and to keep Todd in check. Maybe we're lucky and he's asleep!" Martin handed Reacher his phone.

Brooks sat in between them and was dozing, not quite awake, but not asleep either. His eyes opened occasionally and then closed again due to exhaustion. He knew what was happening and worried about facing Todd. The fact that he hadn't told Todd that he was heading for Falltime would anger his lover. He couldn't blame Todd. He'd be angry in his place too. Well, he'd just have to bear it. Maybe Todd would go easy on him now that he wasn't feeling well?

Reacher held back from commenting and merely accessed Roger's number. If they thought keeping Todd in the dark was for the best, they were wrong. Doran struck him as rational guy with a good head on his shoulders. They should have told him right away!

"Riggs, what's up?" Roger stepped into the corridor, since he wasn't up to date. The last thing he'd heard was that Brooks had been taken to the hospital for a checkup.

"It's Reacher, and your captain will be just fine." Roger's sigh told him how relieved the detective was. "We'll pull up the house in a couple of minutes. How's Doran?"

"Fine, too fine actually. He's back to nagging. His head seems fine and he's hardly in any discomfort. The cracked rib doesn't seem to bother him much. He's tougher than he looks like!"

Reacher agreed with that assessment; and it was the reason why not telling Todd would get Brooks in problems. "We're about to arrive. Prepare for Todd throwing a little tantrum when he finds out what happened."

"Oh yes." Roger agreed; Todd's reaction wouldn't be pretty.

/

"Stop fussing, damn it!" Brooks was determined to walk on his own, but his coordination was still off. So in the end, he reluctantly permitted Martin to keep an arm wrapped around him for support. "Todd's not gonna like this." There would be hell to pay once his partner found out he'd been kept out of the loop and he mentally prepared himself for that. The problem however was, his mind wasn't exactly cooperating. He wasn't having flash backs exactly, but he couldn't stop remembering how scared he'd been when paralysis had set in. Those memories kept messing with him.

Reacher kept to the back, determined not to get caught up in the fallout. After all, he'd urged them to tell the truth!

Martin reached for his key, but then the door opened and Roger appeared. "Hey, Rog!"

Roger cringed at seeing in how bad a shape Avery was. Todd merely needed to take one look and the experienced trauma surgeon realized something was up. "This is so going to backfire on you," he told his former partner. Avery looked like death warmed over. How was the man still on his feet looking like that?

Brooks was well aware of that. "Let me worry about that," he whispered, quickly running out of breath. He had trouble breathing and speaking at the same time. "I need to sit down… before I end up… face first on the floor!" Fuck, he felt weak. Hopefully he wasn't going to pass out. He felt like he could faint at any given moment! If only he could sit down!

"Brooks?" Todd frowned, catching Brooks' voice. He grew instantly alarmed as Brooks sounded weak and short of breath Why hadn't Roger told him Brooks was about to get home? He got up from the couch and walked into the hallway, coming to an abrupt standstill at seeing the condition his lover was in. "Brooks? What the hell? What happened?" He rushed forward, supported his partner, and guided him into the living room. "Sit down before you collapse!" Even though he wasn't up to his normal game, he took charge like he normally did in his operating theatre. "What happened?" Now that Brooks was sitting down, he studied his lover, noticing all those little things that indicated a serious condition. The pupils were wrong, Brooks sweat profusely and was shaky. He didn't want to believe it, but he could only reach one conclusion, "Did someone drug you?" How had that happened?

Brooks closed his eyes and relaxed now that he was off his feet. After gathering his strength, he started on the little speech he'd mentally prepared. He hoped he could get through it without screwing up too badly! "It's not as bad… as it looks. I'll be back on my feet… in a couple of hours." Uttering those two sentences left him exhausted and short of breath. He knew Todd would interrogate him eventually, but hopefully not right now. He was too tired to dodge those questions.

"Martin, what happened?" Seeing his partner utterly exhausted and obviously suffering, he looked to the Texan for an explanation. "And give me the truth." Or there would be hell to pay!

Martin didn't want to do this and looked for a way out, but Reacher's expression told him he'd better face the music. "We went back to Falltime and caught the killers. Unfortunately they drugged Brooks. He needs to sleep off the effects and then he'll be as good as new."

Brooks opened his right eye, wondering when he'd closed them, and tried to distract Todd. "You should… worry… about Martin instead… He dislocated his… shoulder." Fuck, he was done talking! His eyes closed and he collapsed against Todd, who instantly wrapped both arms around him to steady him.

Todd hissed in surprise and glared at Martin. "Tell me they checked on your shoulder!" But he already knew the answer; Martin's guilty look told him. "Damn it, I can't leave you two alone for a couple of hours, can I?" He gently guided Brooks' head onto his shoulder. His partner's labored breathing and the clammy skin worried him. He needed to get Brooks into a bed ASAP!

"It's no big deal," Martin said reassuringly while giving Brooks the finger. His captain merely grinned weakly. "I damaged my shoulder during a mission. I can dislocate it and pop it back in without problems." Yeah, it hurt – briefly, but the discomfort was worth it. He'd managed to free himself of that fucking straight jacket.

"That's true." Reacher nodded. "I was there when it happened. That was quite a blast we got caught up in."

Todd tiredly shook his head and told himself to take charge. Martin was relatively okay, but Brooks wasn't. "Okay, this is what we'll do. Roger, make sure Brooks goes to bed. Tuck him in if necessary, and you," he said, directing his comment at Martin, "you're going to let me check on that shoulder!"

"You don't need to! It's fine!"

But Todd instantly dismissed the Texan's objections. "You'll come over here and stand still. You'll let me check on you, understood?"

Reacher thoroughly enjoyed himself and grinned. He'd told them this would backfire on them, but they'd refused to listen! "I'll help you get Avery into bed and then I'll leave. And Riggs, do as you're told!" He ignored Riggs' foul glare and carefully gathered Brooks in his arms. "Cooperate, will you?" It took him and Todd some time to settle Brooks safely in his arms, but then he headed up the stairs. With Roger's help he settled Brooks in bed. "Now sleep it off!" He made sure Brooks was fine and then signaled Roger he was leaving. "You should leave too. Todd's still well behaved. You don't want to be here when he gets mad!" He nodded his goodbye at Brooks, and on his way out, he waved at Todd and Riggs, before quickly making his way out of the house.

"Traitor," Martin spat the moment Reacher was out of hearing range. Martin dodged Todd's deadly glare and held still, enduring the surgeon probing his shoulder and arm. "See, everything's fine!"

"Shut up, Martin. Just be quiet!" Todd barely held on to his composure. He was angry with them for keeping silent about what had happened.

"Sorry," Martin offered a moment later. "We didn't want you to worry since you're recovering yourself." He was serious; he'd wanted to protect Todd.

Todd sighed deeply. He knew they didn't do it to spite him. They tried protecting him instead. "Martin, I get it, but you need to be honest with me. When something like this happens, just tell me. I can take it."

Todd's tone told Martin he'd messed up. "Sorry, it won't happen again."

"Let's hope so," Todd said, "Next time, tell me, promise me."

Martin sighed again. He hated this. "I promise." Though he worried he might end up regretting that promise one day.

"You're forgiven." Todd now considered the matter dealt with. "What kind of drugs did they use on him?"

Martin shrugged. "I wasn't listening when your buddy told us. Apparently it started with the scotch. Leroy, the bar keeper, never noticed the perp slipping in the drugs."

Todd decided to call the hospital later. His colleagues would provide him with the details he needed. "Martin, get some sleep, will you?" It was close to midnight and the three of them needed rest.

"Brooks is in bed and resting." Roger kept his distance, unwilling to get caught up in the crossfire. He'd heard Todd lecturing Martin from upstairs and Brooks had looked guilty, while listening to Todd laying down the law. "I'm off. Call me if you need help!" Roger hastily beat his retreat, glad to get away from that mess.

Todd placed his hand at the small of Martin's back and gently nudged the Texan toward the staircase, which they climbed. "Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning," he said, and then headed for the bedroom. He wasn't sure Brooks was still awake. If he was, they'd talk. If not, it had to wait until the morning.

Martin collapsed onto the bed, kicked off his boots, and slipped beneath the duvet. Today had been rough and Todd was right; they needed to rest.

/

A quick look told Todd that Brooks was still awake, but hanging on by the skin of his teeth. He couldn't recall seeing his lover in such a bad way before. The anger he'd felt a moment ago ebbed away and concern replaced it. He sat down on the side of the bed and gently stroked Brooks' hair. "You look bad," he whispered eventually, deciding against calling Brooks on his behavior just yet. "You need to rest."

"I'm sorry," Brooks offered in a weak voice. He was tired to the bone and only awake because of sheer determination, as he didn't want his lover to think he was avoiding the issue. "I didn't want to… worry you," he added, fighting his exhaustion. He owed Todd an explanation.

Todd leaned in closer and kissed his lover's brow. "I know why you did it. We'll talk about it in the morning." They might end up saying things they regretted if they did this now. "Is there anything you need before turning in for the night?" Roger had already covered Brooks with the duvet and Todd now slipped into place next to him, pulling Brooks into his arms and holding him tightly, once more realizing how close he'd come to losing him.

"Your… forgiveness…" Brooks closed his eyes; exhaustion had finally gotten the better of him and he dozed off.

Todd fought back the tears that were building in his eyes. His anger evaporated. How could he remain angry with Brooks when his lover reacted like that? "You've got it," he whispered into his lover's ear, but Brooks was already asleep and couldn't hear it. Well, they'd talk it over in the morning. He had forgiven Brooks, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to let his lover know what he thought about his past actions!

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Part 15

Brooks had been awake for several minutes, but had yet to move. He savored being in his lover's arms, in their warm nest, and in the safety of their home. Last night, there had been moments when he hadn't been sure he'd ever experience those things again. Michelle had been crazy, and had she administered a slightly higher dose, or had it taken the EMTs longer to get there, the drugs would have killed him. He hadn't told Martin or Reacher, or God forbad Todd, but the doctor who had treated him had patiently explained how lucky he was to still be alive; had the EMT arrived a few minutes later, he would be dead now. He wasn't sure he should tell Todd; he was afraid of his partner's reaction. But then again, Todd would find out if he contacted the doctor who had treated him. And he knew Todd well enough to know his lover would do just that. Todd would want all the information, all the details he could get his hands on.

"You're thinking very loudly," Todd complained as he shifted onto his side so he could study Brooks' facial expression. Brooks didn't merely look worried; he looked downright upset. He'd learned that making Brooks confide in him took time. Brooks brooded, tried to protect him, and never willingly hurt him. He had to push past those defenses first. "How are you doing? Feeling better?"

Brooks nodded slowly. He felt better. As predicted, the drugs had left his system and no longer affected him. The memories however couldn't so easily be flushed from his mind. He turned onto his side as well and gingerly wrapped an arm around Todd. He'd messed up; he knew that and took full responsibility for it. "I AM sorry," he repeated last night's apology. "I didn't want to worry you. There was nothing you could do and you're still recovering yourself."

"I'm fine," Todd ensured his lover. "But you're not. I know that look." Whatever had happened, Brooks was still trying to deal with it.

Brooks licked his lips, trying to make up his mind. He couldn't lie to Todd, hell, he couldn't keep this from his lover, period. Whom was he kidding? He'd be walking on eggshells, trying not to let something slip. "The killer, a woman named Michelle, drugged me. Some of it was in the scotch, but once they had me at their place they shot me up with another drug cocktail. The doc at the ER found the needlepoint where they injected the substances." Brooks paused and wavered, but then told himself to man up. Todd deserved the truth!

Todd knew the worst was yet to come and mentally prepared himself for whatever followed. "Tell me, I can handle it." Being kept in the dark was much worse! Todd curled an arm around Brooks in turn and soothingly rubbed his lover's back.

"He said that I was lucky to have pulled through. Had the paramedics arrived a few minutes later, they might have failed to keep me alive. Most of their previous victims died because of those drugs. They wanted to kill me too." He briefly closed his eyes, unable to look into Todd's. His lover had every right to be pissed off with him!

"I could have lost you!" The last thing on Todd's mind however was lecturing Brooks. He was much too happy his lover was still alive. "I'm so fucking relieved you're still alive and I'm happy to have you here with me. Don't worry about me being mad. I forgave you last night. Just promise to tell me straight away if something like this happens ever happens again. I can deal with it."

Brooks opened his eyes and smiled timidly. "I AM sorry."

"It's okay, love," Todd instantly eased Brooks' worries. "All that matters to me is that you're safe and well." Holding Brooks tightly, he tucked his lover's head beneath his chin. "I love you, Brooks. Don't die on me, okay? I need you."

Choking up on emotions, Brooks swallowed hard. "I'll do my best." He knew how lucky he was to have Todd in his life and he'd fight for it – every day, all over again.

/

Martin pushed the bedroom door ajar so he could check on them. Brooks was still asleep and Todd was holding him protectively. Brooks was still wearing his clothes, which couldn't be comfortable, as they were covered in dirt and grime. Todd looked at him and Martin asked, "Everything fine in here?"

"Yeah, thanks." Todd snuggled closer and stroked Brooks' hair. "Thanks for looking out for him."

Martin nodded, but knew he could have done better. "I'm making you guys breakfast. Stay in bed, I'll bring it to you!" Not because he felt guilty, but because he wanted to spoil them a little. They always looked after him in turn.

"I like that very much!" Todd winked at him and Martin closed the door again, whistling softly as he made his way into the kitchen. He made Todd's tea and prepped his fruit. Then he fixed Brooks' favorite cereal and made him some decaf. Then he brewed the real stuff for himself. While sipping from his coffee, he arranged everything on a tray and carried it upstairs. The last time he'd served someone breakfast in bed, it had been Miranda when she'd been eight months pregnant. Having someone to take care of felt good.

Upon arriving at their bedroom, Martin caught their voices. Brooks was awake then. "Are you guys decent? Please, don't let me walk in on you having sex!"

"Don't be such a drama queen." Todd joked, "We're decent." But barely, as he was in the process of getting Brooks into some sweats.

"Please don't be having sex!" Martin kicked open the door and cast a suspicious look inside. He cringed, realizing Brooks was half naked, merely wearing sweat pants, which really looked ridiculous on him. They were too big and probably Todd's. He wasn't even sure Brooks owned sweats!

"Your timing sucks," Brooks commented, but grinned at the same time, telling Martin he was joking. He cooperated when Todd helped him into a sweater, but that little action left him drained. He pushed a pillow against the headboard and sat back, briefly closing his eyes due to fatigue.

"Hey, I come bearing gifts!" Martin placed the tray on the nightstand and studied them. Todd looked fine and the cracked rib hardly seemed to bother him. Brooks was a different matter though; he looked like the living dead! He swallowed hard, suddenly nervous and wondering about this part in the fiasco. It had been his idea to bring in Brooks. He sat down on the side of the bed and worriedly looked at them.

"Martin, I'll be fine," Brooks paused, still quickly running out of breath. "Just give me a few days to recover." He'd been on the phone with Bailey earlier and he'd asked her to step in for him. He could tell his request had surprised her, but she'd quickly recovered and assured him she was on top of things. He trusted her; she was skilled and capable and he WAS grooming her to be the next captain. So this was his chance to find out if he'd been right about her. "Thanks for making breakfast."

Todd however eyed the coffee suspiciously. "Caffeine is bad for you."

Brooks managed a weak chuckle. "That's decaf… Do you really think Martin would bring me the real stuff?" Wow, merely speaking exhausted him! Those drugs had really done a number on him!

"Of course it's decaf," Martin admitted, carefully handing Brooks the mug and noticing the man's hands were steady. Last night Brooks had shaken himself to pieces, so he was getting better!

Brooks sipped slowly. Even though knowing it was decaf, he still enjoyed the taste of it. His mouth was dry most of the time and he craved liquids. Probably a short term effect of said drugs cocktail. "Any news on Michelle and her charming companion?" Brooks noticed Todd's expression harden upon hearing the name. His lover was angry; he knew the tell tale signs. If only he knew what about. Todd had told him he was forgiven, but maybe his lover still resented being kept in the dark?

"Ronnie's handling the case personally. They're in lock up. Bailey and Cruz are interrogating them, and apparently Reacher is still around, helping out. Which is out of character for the guy. He usually disappears after solving the case." Roger had called him earlier, letting him know what was happening at the precinct. "I'll drop by later and find out more. Ronnie also told me you're not allowed to come in for the next few days. You know what he gets like. I wouldn't be surprised to find he stationed cops outside to make sure you stay put." Knowing Ronnie the way he did, he expected his father in law to visit shortly. Ronnie would want to make sure in person that Brooks was recovering.

"So the case is closed? Everything's solved?" Todd wanted to put it all behind him. He munched on some fruit but his attention was with Brooks, monitoring his lover's every reaction.

"Yip. Mack did get involved because of Dave Darcy. They knew each other from a mission they'd been on. They'd stayed in touch and when Darcy first vanished and was then murdered, Mack wanted to find the murderer. Unfortunately they were onto him."

"So you were right all along." Brooks was growing tired, but forced down several spoonfuls of cereal, just because Martin had prepared it for him. And yes, he should eat, otherwise Todd would make him. "Mack was there because Darcy had gotten himself in trouble. Do we know why Darcy was there in the first place?"

"From what I heard Darcy was in the closet during his marriage. After his wife died, he wanted to explore. Unfortunately he chose the wrong bar to do that."

Finding Brooks' eyes closing, Todd quickly supported his lover's hand when the bowl started to slip. He placed it back on the tray and pulled up the duvet.

"Sorry," Brooks mumbled. "Sleepy."

"Sleep is the best medicine right now," Todd said soothingly. "So close your eyes and rest."

The fact that Brooks was fast asleep seconds later made Martin frown. "Is he okay? Is that normal?" He couldn't help but worry.

"Yeah, it is." Todd checked Brooks' pulse, which showed a steady rhythm. "Last night took a great deal out of him. We need to be patient." Brooks confiding in him that he'd barely escaped death still haunted him, but he wasn't going to burden Martin with it.

"Right before we arrived at the hospital, he briefly stopped breathing," Martin admitted. "I thought we were going to lose him, but then he started breathing again. The EMT was worried too."

"That doesn't surprise me. A drugs cocktail like that is taxing on the heart and can cause cardiac arrest. We're very lucky he survived." Todd caressed his lover's hair and he gave Martin a sad little smile. "I was relieved when he made captain, because it meant he'd spend most of his time in his office. I don't want him out there, getting actively involved in cases. I love him too much. The mere thought of losing him… It upsets me."

"He's a great cop." Martin meant it. "He knows how to handle himself in tough situations, but I agree with you. I want him to be safe too."

"Good, that's something we agree on!" Todd placed his feet on the floor. "I'm gonna grab a quick shower and check in with the hospital. Will you keep an eye on him? I don't expect any complications, but I don't want him to be alone – just in case."

"Sure, I'll monitor him closely!" Martin took Todd's place on the bed, resting his back against the headboard. Amused, he watched Brooks move closer and snuggle up to him. "Not my idea," he pointed out to Todd, who was chuckling.

"He didn't like to snuggle at first, but I got him hooked on it, so it's not your fault. He's probably cold. His body is working hard to maintain its normal temperature. If you don't mind sharing your body heat, do it. It will benefit him."

"I don't mind," Martin quickly assured Todd and wrapped an arm around the older man. "I'll watch over him till you get back." Todd left for the bathroom and Martin took his time studying Brooks. The man still looked drained. Ronnie was right; Brooks needed to stay in bed. Heading back to the office wasn't an option just yet!

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Part 16

Martin was downstairs when the doorbell rang. Not expecting any visits, he cautiously made his way over to the doorway. Opening it, he smiled, pleased to find Reacher standing there. "Hey, why are you still around? Normally, you'd be on a bus!" He stepped aside to let him enter.

"Brooks has great coffee," he hinted as he walked into the kitchen. Disappointed, he realized the coffee maker wasn't running.

Martin got the hint and made Reacher some. "You didn't answer my question," he observed as they settled down at the kitchen table.

"Well," Reacher started and then pausing to enjoy his first sip of the divine brew. "With Brooks incapacitated, I'm helping Bailey run the place. She's a quick study." She'd quickly realized he knew what he was talking about when it came down to running the place. "And I promised to teach Doran some self defense. I AM a man of my word."

"Very true." Martin continued to wonder about Reacher though. It would be weeks before Todd's rib had fully healed up and the former MP was going to stay that long?

"How's Brooks doing? He was in a bad way when we found you guys." Reacher worried about him as he had taken a liking to the LAPD captain.

"He's resting," Todd replied, as he stepped into the kitchen. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to make it behave. In the end, he tucked it behind his ears, it always got curly when it was still wet from showering. "They really did a number on him. It's going to take him a few days to get back on his feet." Normally he'd never drink coffee, but damn it, he needed the caffeine! He ignored Martin's puzzled look and sipped, cringing because of the bitter taste. He quickly added milk and sugar and tried again. Better, but he still didn't like it.

"Let me know if I can help," Reacher offered. "Doesn't matter with what." Brooks had gained his respect during these last few days.

"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind." Todd finished his coffee and grabbed some bottled water. "I should go back. He's having nightmares and I don't want him to wake up alone." Todd nodded at them and headed back to their bedroom.

"Brooks is tougher than he looks like," Reacher pointed out, noticing Riggs' darkening mood. "And it's not surprising he's having nightmares. He was drugged to the gills and needs time to deal with what happened."

Martin knew that, but hearing Brooks had nightmares was bad news.

/

Brooks felt fuzzy when he woke up next. It was the only way to describe his blurry thoughts. Maybe he should schedule a session with Maureen, just to make sure he didn't end up making things worse. Last night had messed him up pretty good and talking to Cahill would help him process everything. Looking at the alarm clock on the night stand, he realized he'd slept the day away. It was seven in the evening and his stomach growled, reminding him he'd only had a bit of cereal that day.

"You're hungry, good!" Todd, who'd monitored Brooks closely made his way over to their bed. "Want me to bring some food up here or do you want to head for the kitchen?" Most of the time, Brooks was very good at assessing what he was capable of.

"I want to go downstairs. I've been stuck in bed all day." Moving about would do him good. He hoped he could manage it though as he still felt weak. Brooks placed his feet on the floor and pushed himself upright, resting a hand against the wall for support. No head rush, which was good. Still a bit wobbly, but doable. Overall, he felt better, just weak. "Let's do this."

Todd stayed one step behind his lover, ready to catch him, should he fall. When they reached the staircase, Todd moved forward and wrapped a steadying arm around Brooks' waist. "Let's do this together," he said, reminding his partner that he wasn't in this alone.

Brooks smiled gratefully. "Yes, together." Though it irked him that he needed help to get downstairs, he accepted his limitations. They were merely temporary at any rate. Voices coming from the kitchen made him frown. "Do we have company?"

"Ronnie showed up twenty minutes ago. He wanted to check up on you and Martin. I told him you were resting, so he hunted down Martin instead." They stepped into the kitchen, making both men turn their heads into their direction.

"Brooks!" Ronnie was relieved to see his friend back on his feet, though he had to admit Brooks looked weary. "How do you guys always end up in trouble?" It had started with Martin getting hospitalized, then Todd had been attacked and now Brooks was recovering from some undercover investigation he would have vetoed if he had known about it. "You need to stop doing this," he told all three of them.

Brooks managed a smile and sat down opposite his friend, glad to be off his feet. His stomach growled, reminding him why he'd wanted to go to the kitchen in the first place. Giving his lover his best puppy dog look, he pleaded, "Feed me."

Todd chuckled and shook his head at the obvious manipulation, but he honestly didn't mind. "What are you in the mood for?"

His stomach was behaving and Brooks wanted it to stay that way. "I think I can manage some pasta."

"Pasta it is. Ronnie, are you staying for dinner?" To his surprise, Martin got up and started helping him prepare dinner.

"I'd love too, if I'm not bothering you!"

"You're not bothering us," Brooks assured his friend. "We love having you. The more the merrier." Which was actually Todd's motto.

"Michelle Whiting will stand trial for six time murder, abduction, and several other charges. Her accomplice, a guy named John Attins, will face similar charges. I'll make sure they're put away for life, but Brooks, what the hell were you thinking!?"

"We needed to catch a murderer," Brooks said, explaining his motives once more. "Two, actually. It's my job, in case you didn't know." He even added a wink, though that might be pushing it.

"Yes," Ronnie replied, but with apparent frustration. "But you do that from your office. You don't head into the field!"

Brooks decided that it was time for misdirection. "Why are you coming down on me and not Martin? He got himself caught too!"

"I expect things like that from Marty, and don't worry, I already gave him a piece of my mind, but you…!"

Brooks looked at Martin, who nodded in order to confirm Ronnie's words, which appeased him, but only slightly. At least he wasn't the only one Ronnie was angry with!

/

After dinner, Brooks moved to the couch and quickly dozed off, never really registering he was falling asleep. The other three men, all situated near, looked at each other, exchanging sad smiles.

"I'll move him to bed later," Todd announced. "He looks comfortable for now." Brooks really did, stretched on his side and with his head resting in his lover's lap. Todd's fingers moved through Brooks' hair, offering a soothing caress. That moment Martin's phone beeped.

Martin uncovered it and checked his message. "It's from Reacher. He's asking me to drop by Mack's grave in the morning. Wilson will be there too." Probably to thank them for solving the murder. Maybe, if he was lucky, Jackie would accompany Wilson. Seeing them again would be nice, even considering the circumstances.

"Go," Todd told him. "I'm off from work this week." After his boss had learned what had happened, he'd told Todd to stay at home and rest.

"That's good," Ronnie muttered beneath his breath. Both men needed to recover. Which reminded him; he needed to get back to work. He wasn't going to lose Todd's case either, not with a witness eagerly testifying. "Marty, stay in touch, will you? I need to know what's going on in this household!"

"I'll walk you to the door," Martin offered, getting to his feet and falling into step with his father in law. "Thanks for handling their cases personally," he said, opening the front door.

"It's the least I can do." Ronnie wasn't sure Martin would allow it, but he carefully hugged the younger man, and was thrilled when his son in law returned the embrace. "Take care, Marty!"

Martin closed the door behind him and returned to the living room, where he found Brooks still asleep and Todd channel surfing. The scene reminded him of the home he'd found with them. And he would look after them, making sure they were fine.

/

The next morning, Martin walked up to Mack's grave. He was the first to arrive and the place was still rather deserted. It was sunny and it promised to be a wonderful day. To his surprise, Martin found he was looking forward to it, for he would spend it with the two people who'd become his surrogate dads.

'Morning." Reacher walked up to his friend and examined the grave, which looked well taken care of. "How are your friends doing?"

"Brooks still sleeps a lot and Todd's enjoying pampering him. You should repeat your offer, Reacher. I have the feeling Todd might accept." Maybe, after everything that had happened lately, Todd realized the importance of being able to defend himself.

"I will," Reacher promised. "Mack can finally rest in peace now we got his murderers in custody."

Martin was about to agree, when a car pulled up on the nearby driveway. It was a heavily armored black sedan, and it probably belonged to Wilson. A moment later, the door opened and Jackie appeared, who opened the door in turn for Wilson, who got to his feet, straightened out his uniform and then headed towards them. "Here we go."

"Riggs! Reacher! You did well!" Wilson came to a halt and nodded approvingly. "Thank you for bringing Mack's killers to justice!"

"You're welcome, sir. We consider it an honor and our duty to help," Reacher said when Riggs remained quiet.

Wilson turned silent too and paid his fallen companion soundlessly his respect, eventually saluting him. "I heard your friend got injured while apprehending the perps," Wilson mentioned, addressing Riggs, as he walked away from the grave.

"Affirmative. The killers targeted him and he nearly died due to the drugs they shot him up with. It was their preferred MO, sir." Martin sighed deeply. He could have lost Brooks; he knew that, and it scared him.

"Well, in that case, I should thank your captain in person! I'll meet you there, Riggs!" Wilson marched back to his car.

Riggs chuckled, mildly amused. Wilson was always unpredictable. "Something tells me neither Brooks nor Todd are expecting his visit!"

"Maybe you should warn them?" Reacher suggested.

Martin's grin grew wicked. "Maybe, maybe not." He'd love seeing their reaction to finding an admiral on their doorstep. "We have to beat Wilson getting there. I want to see their faces."

Reacher scoffed disapprovingly, but grinned at the same time. Yeah, that might be fun indeed!

/

A car pulled up into their driveway and Todd frowned. They weren't expecting visitors, or were they? He walked over to the window and disliked seeing the heavily armored car parking there. "Brooks, are you expecting someone?"

Brooks, who'd been trying to watch television, but kept dozing off, opened his eyes. "Not that I know of."

"This is weird." Todd didn't like it one bit, but then relaxed upon recognizing Jackie. "Looks like we got visitors after all." At the same time, Martin's truck appeared. Reacher and Martin got out and walked up to Jackie. Maybe he should rethink his motto; the more the merrier. He could do with some alone time!

"What's going on?" Brooks was comfortable and didn't want to leave his couch, but Todd's reactions worried him.

"Stay put!" Todd gave him a look that said his partner had better not move. "It's Reacher, Jackie, Martin and someone I don't know." The older man was in uniform and followed Martin to their doorway. "I'd better start the coffee," he whispered, now that Reacher was back. A moment later, the doorbell rang, making him roll back his eyes. "Martin, you've got a key!" He ignored Brooks' amused chuckle and opened the door.

"Hello, Todd," Jackie said, shaking the surgeon's hand. "It's good to see you again. May we enter?"

Like he had a choice! Todd stepped aside and nodded reluctantly, wondering who the older man was. His uniform displayed a multitude of medals and accompanying ribbon bars. He was probably a hot shot, but their timing sucked! The group moved into the living room and Todd noticed Martin and Reacher keeping their distance and staying close to the hallway. Martin's grin meant trouble and he prepared for the worst.

"Captain Avery, please stay seated!" Wilson hadn't expected the LAPD captain to look that bad. He'd asked and received a report about Mack's case and knew what had happened in that abandoned warehouse. He was well aware that Avery had had a close brush with death.

Brooks felt flabbergasted. What the fuck was going on and why wasn't Martin helping? The Texan merely grinned at him; like Martin knew something and he didn't. Oh, payback was going to be sweet. "Admiral Wilson, if I'm not mistaken?" The man looked familiar; had he seen him at Mack's funeral? If so, what was the admiral doing here? He briefly considered getting to his feet at any rate, but then dismissed the idea, as he was still unsteady and he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his audience. Why were they staring at him anyway?

"I want to thank you for arresting Mack's murderers. You went to great lengths to make sure they were captured. You even put yourself in danger." Wilson appreciated a man like Avery.

Brooks was about to dismiss his own involvement when Wilson raised a hand and stopped him from talking.

"I want you to know that you have my support. If you ever need my help, in whatever form, you have it. Just give me or Jackie here a call!" Wilson turned toward his assistant and cocked his head. Jackie acted at once and presented him with a small box.

Brooks watched on in amazement, wondering what the hell was happening.

"My options to express my gratitude are rather limited, I'm afraid," Wilson said as he moved toward Avery. "You're a civilian with no affiliations to the military, but I can bestow the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award on you for your contribution in solving the murder." Brooks' eyebrows inched higher. What? Wilson opened the small jewelry box and presented the medal to him. He had a hard time believing this was happening. "That's way too much credit," he said eventually. His normally so quick wit deserted him; he definitely wasn't up to his normal tricks. "It was a team effort." "You're too modest," Reacher commented from the side lines. "We wouldn't have cracked the case without you. You knew the danger you placed yourself in and still went ahead. You should accept." Brooks wasn't that sure himself. "I accept," he said eventually, knowing Wilson would take any rejection on his part personally. "But it was a team effort." He took hold of the box and the certificate that accompanied it. He'd pass on the honor to his team. "Good, that's taken care of," Wilson mumbled privately. "Jackie, we're heading back to San Diego! Say your goodbyes, will you? Captain Avery," Wilson said and nodded approvingly at the LAPD captain. "We'll be seeing each other, I'm sure!" Jackie knew he had to be fast. Wilson was an impatient man and his commanding officer wasn't used to waiting. "Marty, don't be a stranger! Let's get together some time!" He quickly hugged his friend and then shook Reacher's hand. "It's great meeting you, sir. You're something of a legend." Reacher snorted and Jackie took it in stride. "Todd, thanks for having me and, captain, I hope to see you on your feet again quickly!" He grinned at them and turned around at the exact moment Wilson yelled his name, telling him to hurry it up. Martin watched them drive away and when he returned to the living room, he found Brooks sitting there rather stunned and staring at the medal Wilson had just awarded him. "Told you," he said, addressing Brooks while sitting down next to him. "Wilson is quite a character, rather unpredictable too." "He didn't have to do that. He shouldn't have," Brooks objected. "I don't deserve it." "Yeah, you do!" Reacher joined them, sitting down close to Todd. "Which reminds me," he said, turning toward the surgeon. "Is your rib still acting up?" He did want to keep his promise, but he was getting restless and ready to leave LA. "I can show you how to defend yourself without putting pressure on your rib. That's, if you want to learn." Todd thought it over and eventually nodded. "I accept." Not that much for himself, but in case Brooks ever needed help. He would never forgive himself if he couldn't defend his life partner should they end up in a dangerous situation. Brooks had a hard time believing Todd had told Reacher yes. He felt relieved though, knowing Todd would easily make those techniques his own. His lover was a quick study and motivated. "I think you made the right decision." Martin nodded; he agreed as well. He'd take over once Reacher left. Todd being able to defend himself was important to him. "I'll drop by tomorrow, then we'll start. Get some rest in the meantime, both of you!" Reacher got to his feet and headed for the doorway, giving them some privacy. Brooks continued to stare at the certificate. "Wilson's a fool." He hadn't done anything special. "No, he isn't," Martin objected, seeing a side to Brooks he hadn't seen before. "Gracefully accept it, will you? The navy hardly ever awards such a prize to a civilian!" Brooks sighed deeply. "I don't have a choice, have I?" Well, it didn't really matter. There was still room in one of the drawers in his desk. No need to brag about it by displaying it. It had been a team effort after all! / Five days later "Make sure you're back at home at four. Remember your doctor's instructions and don't overdo it, Brooks!" Todd didn't like the fact that Brooks was heading back for work, but also realized he couldn't stop his lover. Brooks was back on his feet and on edge. Keeping him at home would only make things worse. After yesterday's check, Brooks' physician had cleared him for work, but had told him to cut down on overtime for now. Brooks checked his appearance and straightened his tie. Damn, it felt good to wear a suit again. He'd never get used to sweats. "I hear you, darling, and I promise to be back for dinner." "Not dinner – four PM," Todd repeated. "Or I'll tell Martin to drive you home!" He felt a bit more assertive ever since Reacher had shown him some tricks to deal with upstarts. Going up against five attackers was still out of the question, but he was confident he could handle one, possibly even two bigots harassing him. Reacher had been right; those tricks were nasty and dirty, but they might make the difference when it came down to being a victim or getting away. "I love you too, sweetheart," Brooks whispered, trying to placate his lover. "I won't over do it, I promise. If I get tired, I'll rest. My office comes with a comfortable couch!" He was ready to go back to work, but he would monitor himself closely. He still tired easily and during these last few days he'd taken up the habit of napping in the afternoon. That had to stop! "Okay," Todd relented, but narrowed his eyes at his lover. He'd instructed Martin to keep a close eye on Brooks, but his partner didn't need to know that. / Brooks fidgeted with his sleeve while riding the elevator up to the Robbery and Homicide Division. He hadn't thought it possible, but he was nervous! The elevator doors opened and he stepped into the bullpen which bristled with activity. Good, Bailey had everything under control! She'd make an awesome captain one day! "Cap! Welcome back!" Cruz was the first to notice Avery's return and headed towards him. "It's good to have you back!" Brooks suddenly found himself surrounded by his friends and noticed the banner above the door to his office. Welcome back, cap, it said and it made him smile. "You guys missed me!" "Of course we did!" Bailey, feeling shy, gently hugged her captain. Normally she wouldn't do that, but she was relieved to have him back. During his absence she'd realized just much she cared about him. Brooks returned the hug, never expecting it, but most certainly appreciating it. Next, Murtaugh walked up to him and patted his back. "So you didn't blow up the place?" He'd half expected to walk into a disaster zone. "Give me some credit," Roger joked in turn. "I manage to control Riggs these days, and truth be told, he's been behaving himself!" "Captain!" Maureen had waited her turn and now embraced her friend. "I worried when I heard what happened." Brooks had scheduled some sessions with her, indicating he needed to talk about his near death experience, and she was eager to help him. "Ah, well, I survived," Brooks quipped, easily reading the concern in her eyes. "I'm fine," he whispered, trying to reassure her. She nodded and let go, but remained close. "Hey, you're early!" Martin hadn't expected Brooks to turn up at this early hour. How had he gotten away from Todd? "I worried you'd wrecked the place!" Brooks turned toward Bailey and whispered, "Well done!" He noticed the way she straightened her shoulders and gave him a pleased look. Yes, he'd continue to groom her. If he ever carried out his plans to run for office he wanted her to succeed him. "And now get back to work! Lots of bad guys out there! Catch me some killers!" "Yes, sir!" Bailey replied and went back to work, still grinning from ear to ear. Brooks headed for his office, stepped inside and sighed happily. Yes, it was good to be back! The end! 


End file.
